Trump era: Fascist dawn, or road to liberation?

[Laura]

Ya know, I can't help think that there may have been threats to his wife and children that could have tipped the balance of his caving in. It most likely would have happened anyway, but if one has a heart, one can be gotten to by threatening their families. Plus, I have never, and still do not, trust his son-in-law who seems to have a great deal of influence over him.

I've been thinking along similar lines oftentimes. You know, it's easy for us, the outsiders, to sit back and judge Trump. But if we imagine ourselves in his shoes - the severe pressure 24/7 on him and all his family from all sides - would we actually be able to withstand any longer than he did? Vladimir Putin for instance, keeps all information regarding his family strictly confidential - and for good reason, I think.

But we could say the same about Reagan who was a pro working class pro union guy turned into one of the biggest instruments of the Neo Cons and corporations. It seemed to start after he was almost assasinated.

And who knows if Obama was for real and quickly shut up with threats to his family to continue the US legacy?

What I'm saying here is that can always be used to be a lame duck, promise a lot and never deliver. Like you said, Putin is not using that excuse because he is careful. But with Trump, I see the danger of false hope distracting people while the PTB further their agenda, whereas with Hitlary, it would be obvious and there probably would be a lot more constructive dissent.

No, with Hillary, it would not be obvious in the same way. Trump's troubles have exposed the Man Behind the Curtain in a way that Hillary never would have. There would be no clear exposure of the CIA actions, MSM and how it is completely controlled by CIA, and so much more. In fact, they are practically making a martyr out of Trump and that is really going to get a lot of people mad at the RIGHT people: Deep State and its propaganda arm.

 

[Laura]

Indeed. I think we can't even imagine the sheer pressure somebody like Trump or Putin is under in such a position, when they have their heart at the right place and want to do decent and rational things. From my point of view, it is nonetheless commendable that he even tried to stay on his course for that long, in the heart of the psycho empire. It is really a pity though, that Trump didn't or couldn't use the much needed opportunity to learn a number of concrete things from Putin and how he handled it in russia. That actually was from the beginning the only hope I could see anyway.

Having said that, I think the people who voted for Trump and want him to fulfill his promises, should show now some tough love towards him. Because as the guy in the below video explains, there is much more at stake then Trump. There is a higher picture, and as hard as it might sounds, decent people have to hold him accountable, otherwise all will go down the drain rapidly.

Showing Trump "some tough love" might not be the answer? In the first days of his Presidency, Trump began to implement some of the reforms he had promised during his election. Each and every move - has been either fiercely blocked or marginalized by the Democrats and some Senators, on top of enduring character assassination, to himself and his family. The habitual pressure (from all sides) and the constant manipulation have forced Trump into a corner. "Showing tough love" in my estimation, would be like "beating on a guy - who's already down"? Attention, instead, should be focused on those who are blocking Trump's directives and ignoring or going against his Order's?

Of all the Petitions flying around, the one - most needed - is a Petition directed at General Mattis "to stop" the War efforts?

True American's DO NOT want WAR! ANYWHERE! Yet, Mattis and his ilk, now have us on the precepts of a Nuclear War, not only with Russia but with China and Iran, as well. When the sparks start flying - there isn't going to be much left in it's path. Like Putin remarked, "Few will survive".

EXACTLY. Pash and DBZ, what is up with you two guys???

 

[angelburst29]

US investigators wiretapped former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort under secret court orders before and after the election, sources tell CNN, an extraordinary step involving a high-ranking campaign official now at the center of the Russia meddling probe.

Exclusive: US government wiretapped former Trump campaign chairman Tue September 19, 2017
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/18/politics/paul-manafort-government-wiretapped-fisa-russians/

The government snooping continued into early this year, including a period when Manafort was known to talk to President Donald Trump.

Some of the intelligence collected includes communications that sparked concerns among investigators that Manafort had encouraged the Russians to help with the campaign, according to three sources familiar with the investigation. Two of these sources, however, cautioned that the evidence is not conclusive.

Special counsel Robert Mueller's team, which is leading the investigation into Russia's involvement in the election, has been provided details of these communications.

A secret order authorized by the court that handles the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) began after Manafort became the subject of an FBI investigation that began in 2014. It centered on work done by a group of Washington consulting firms for Ukraine's former ruling party, the sources told CNN.

The surveillance was discontinued at some point last year for lack of evidence, according to one of the sources.

The FBI then restarted the surveillance after obtaining a new FISA warrant that extended at least into early this year.

Sources say the second warrant was part of the FBI's efforts to investigate ties between Trump campaign associates and suspected Russian operatives. Such warrants require the approval of top Justice Department and FBI officials, and the FBI must provide the court with information showing suspicion that the subject of the warrant may be acting as an agent of a foreign power. It is unclear when the new warrant started.

The FBI interest deepened last fall because of intercepted communications between Manafort and suspected Russian operatives, and among the Russians themselves, that reignited their interest in Manafort, the sources told CNN. As part of the FISA warrant, CNN has learned that earlier this year, the FBI conducted a search of a storage facility belonging to Manafort. It's not known what they found.

The conversations between Manafort and Trump continued after the President took office, long after the FBI investigation into Manafort was publicly known, the sources told CNN. They went on until lawyers for the President and Manafort insisted that they stop, according to the sources.
It's unclear whether Trump himself was picked up on the surveillance.

The White House declined to comment for this story. A spokesperson for Manafort didn't comment for this story.

Manafort previously has denied that he ever "knowingly" communicated with Russian intelligence operatives during the election and also has denied participating in any Russian efforts to "undermine the interests of the United States."

The FBI wasn't listening in June 2016, the sources said, when Donald Trump Jr. led a meeting that included Manafort, then campaign chairman, and Jared Kushner, the President's son-in-law, with a Russian lawyer who had promised negative information on Hillary Clinton.

That gap could prove crucial as prosecutors and investigators under Mueller work to determine whether there's evidence of a crime in myriad connections that have come to light between suspected Russian government operatives and associates of Trump.

Origins of the FBI's interest in Manafort - The FBI interest in Manafort dates back at least to 2014, partly as an outgrowth of a US investigation of Viktor Yanukovych, the former Ukrainian president whose pro-Russian regime was ousted amid street protests. Yanukovych's Party of Regions was accused of corruption, and Ukrainian authorities claimed he squirreled millions of dollars out of the country.

Investigators have spent years probing any possible role played by Manafort's firm and other US consultants, including the Podesta Group and Mercury LLC, that worked with the former Ukraine regime. The basis for the case hinged on the failure by the US firms to register under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act, a law that the Justice Department only rarely uses to bring charges.

All three firms earlier this year filed retroactive registrations with the Justice Department. It hasn't proved easy to make a case. Last year, Justice Department prosecutors concluded that there wasn't enough evidence to bring charges against Manafort or anyone of the other US subjects in the probe, according to sources briefed on the investigation.

The FBI and Justice Department have to periodically seek renewed FISA authorization to continue their surveillance. As Manafort took the reins as Trump campaign chairman in May, the FBI surveillance technicians were no longer listening. The fact he was part of the campaign didn't play a role in the discontinued monitoring, sources told CNN. It was the lack of evidence relating to the Ukraine investigation that prompted the FBI to pull back.

Renewed surveillance - Manafort was ousted from the campaign in August. By then the FBI had noticed what counterintelligence agents thought was a series of odd connections between Trump associates and Russia. The CIA also had developed information, including from human intelligence sources, that they believed showed Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered his intelligence services to conduct a broad operation to meddle with the US election, according to current and former US officials.

The FBI surveillance teams, under a new FISA warrant, began monitoring Manafort again, sources tell CNN.

The court that oversees government snooping under FISA operates in secret, the surveillance so intrusive that the existence of the warrants only rarely become public. For that reason, speculation has run rampant about whether Manafort or others associated with Trump were under surveillance.
The President himself fueled the speculation when in March he used his Twitter account to accuse former President Barack Obama of having his "wires tapped" in Trump Tower.

The Justice Department and the FBI have denied that Trump's own "wires" were tapped.

While Manafort has a residence in Trump Tower, it's unclear whether FBI surveillance of him took place there.

Manafort has a home as well in Alexandria, Virginia. FBI agents raided the Alexandria residence in July.

The FBI also eavesdropped on Carter Page, a campaign associate that then candidate Trump once identified as a national security adviser. Page's ties to Russia, including an attempt by Russian spies to cultivate him, prompted the FBI to obtain a FISA court warrant in 2014.

Just five months after President Trump tweeted about the alleged wiretapping of his phones by the last US Administration, a CNN report emerged claiming that the FBI tapped Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort before and after the 2016 presidential elections.

]Bombshell! Trump Campaign Chief Reportedly Wiretapped Before and After Election
https://sputniknews.com/us/201709191057514855-us-trump-manafort-election-cnn/

Flashback - April 4, 2017:

Almost five months after the US presidential elections, Fox News made a startling and shocking revelation: the Kremlin, Russian intelligence agencies, paid and unpaid Russian Internet trolls and Santa HAD NOT influenced the election process.

Captain Obvious to Rescue! Fox News Learns That Russia Didn’t Rig US Elections
https://sputniknews.com/us/201704041052287285-election-interference-evidence-results/

Earlier a number of prominent members of the US Democratic Party sought to blame Russia for allegedly intervening in the 2016 US Presidential elections via hacking and a targeted misinformation campaign.

Last week, the Senate Intelligence Committee announced that Moscow managed to swing votes in several key states by manipulating 'fake news.'

"There were upwards of 1,000 paid Internet trolls in Russia in effect taking over a series of computers. They can then generate news down to specific areas in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania," Senator Mark Warner (D-Va) said.

However, rather than jumping on the ‘Russians are Coming!’ bandwagon, Fox News instead decided to engage in more boring and mundane things, like fact checking and journalism. Needless to say, the facts that the news agency uncovered were probably not to Senator Warren’s liking: simply put, the evidence to sustain his claims wasn’t out there.

As it turns out, the election officials in all of the three states mentioned by Warren said there were no complaints "filed after the 2016 presidential election reflecting skewed Internet search or social media results."

"No one here received any complaints or reports of apparently deliberate misinformation campaigns. Not during the campaign or any time since. We’ve only heard of these allegations recently, in the media," Wanda Murren, the Pennsylvania Department of State spokeswoman, told Fox.

Election experts in the political science departments of universities in the aforementioned states have also taken a dim view of Warren’s conjectures.

"I have no information about any of this. The first I heard of it was from Senator Warner and I wouldn’t know how to even begin looking into it," Michael Berkman, professor of political science at Penn State University, remarked.

Morgan Wright, former law enforcement officer and cybersecurity adviser, also added that the claims are "a red herring and Senator Warner knows better."

Right now the evidence is that the Russians did not do it. We’ve done systematic analysis in multiple states. What appears to have happened is vigorous democracy, where some people were surprised by the outcome," echoed Patrick Anderson of the consulting firm Anderson Economic Group, which conducted a forensic analysis of the 2016 election results.

And while some election observers interviewed by Fox speculated that Russia possibly might’ve targeted specific areas of key swing states, it was just that: an abstract, theoretical possibility, not an established fact.

As Brett Healy of the Wisconsin-based free-market think tank MacIver Institute said, "for the Democratic Party to attempt to blame their widespread defeat on an imaginary bogeyman is comical and a little sad."

CIA agent William Basil will be charged in Greece with the eavesdropping on former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, local media reported Monday, citing anonymous sources.

CIA Agent Tried in Greece for Tapping Into Talks of Ex-PM Karamanlis
https://sputniknews.com/news/201709181057487814-greece-cia-tapping-karamanlis/

CIA agent William Basil will be charged in Greece on the case of espionage and wiretapping of former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, local media reported Monday, citing anonymous sources.

The warrant for the arrest of a 65-year-old US citizen — a former employee of the US Embassy in Greece — in the wiretapping case was issued in February 2015. As reported, the US citizen of Greek origin was a CIA agent in Athens from mid-1990s. The investigation believes that in the summer of 2004 he bought four mobile phones in a store in Piraeus, of which three were used for wiretapping.

The Council of Judges of the Athens Criminal Court has signed a decree on transferring the CIA agent's case to the Athens Court of Appeal with serious charges of espionage and unlawful receipt of information constituting state secrets, the Greek Dimokratiya newspaper said.

Ex-US President Barack Obama is monetizing his experience in the office by sharing it with Wall Street’s special interests for a heft bounty, whilst many Americans are struggling to pay their skyrocketing insurance premiums, debt bills, and ballooning rents.

Obama Goes to Wall Street, Giving $400,000 Speeches to Special Interests
https://sputniknews.com/us/201709191057512777-obama-wall-street/

Following in the footsteps of Bill and Hillary Clinton and their ‘Clinton Foundation’, ex-US President Barack Obama is reportedly giving $400,000 speeches to Wall Street companies through his own ‘Obama Foundation’. Whilst President Trump has blasted the scheme as high-profile corruption serving the needs of special interests during his last year’s presidential campaign, the practice of paid speeches given by the retired top US officials is alive and well.

Donald Trump is powerless to break the vicious circle of anti-Russian policies championed by the US foreign policy establishment, US academic Vladimir Golstein told Sputnik. Under these circumstances Russia needs to concentrate on building partnerships with other countries, ensuring security and economic development, he believes.

Trump Wants to 'Get Along' With Russia But Is Powerless to Make It Happen
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201709181057497273-trump-russia-powerless/

Donald Trump "was not happy" with the Russia sanctions bill and would obviously like to bring the ongoing diplomatic scandal to a halt, but he has little political leverage to fix the situation, Vladimir Golstein, Associate Professor of Slavic Studies at Brown University, told Sputnik.

Trump would like to 'get along' with the Russians, but so far, he does not seem to have the actual mechanisms of power to implement his plan. The same can be said about the Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson," Golstein said.

"Once the US Congress voted for the sanctions bill almost unanimously, there was no point Trump chasing a lost cause that would lead to him being ostracized by the Congress with which he still has to work on other issues," he underscored.

The academic pointed out that "in his refusal to challenge the foreign policy and military establishment, Trump might have painted himself into the corner where the only thing he might be able to do is to send bombers into a foreign territory."

"That's hardly a position that any politician wants to be," he remarked.

"The purpose of the so called Washington Consensus, that is the political, military, diplomatic and scholarly establishment which has the key positions in State Department, Pentagon, and major Washington think tanks, like Council for Foreign Relations, or Atlantic Council is to keep business as usual," Golstein explained, adding that it means to keep Americans "scared of the outside world — Russia in particular — and re-channeling the maximum of tax money into Military Industrial Complex."

"Consequently, the old establishment is bound to generate endless provocations, in the hope that the Russian response to these provocations could be used by the Washington propaganda machine as an example of Russian danger, which requires continuous investments in militarism," he elaborated.

 

[goyacobol]

Indeed. I think we can't even imagine the sheer pressure somebody like Trump or Putin is under in such a position, when they have their heart at the right place and want to do decent and rational things. From my point of view, it is nonetheless commendable that he even tried to stay on his course for that long, in the heart of the psycho empire. It is really a pity though, that Trump didn't or couldn't use the much needed opportunity to learn a number of concrete things from Putin and how he handled it in russia. That actually was from the beginning the only hope I could see anyway.

Having said that, I think the people who voted for Trump and want him to fulfill his promises, should show now some tough love towards him. Because as the guy in the below video explains, there is much more at stake then Trump. There is a higher picture, and as hard as it might sounds, decent people have to hold him accountable, otherwise all will go down the drain rapidly.

Showing Trump "some tough love" might not be the answer? In the first days of his Presidency, Trump began to implement some of the reforms he had promised during his election. Each and every move - has been either fiercely blocked or marginalized by the Democrats and some Senators, on top of enduring character assassination, to himself and his family. The habitual pressure (from all sides) and the constant manipulation have forced Trump into a corner. "Showing tough love" in my estimation, would be like "beating on a guy - who's already down"? Attention, instead, should be focused on those who are blocking Trump's directives and ignoring or going against his Order's?

Of all the Petitions flying around, the one - most needed - is a Petition directed at General Mattis "to stop" the War efforts?

True American's DO NOT want WAR! ANYWHERE! Yet, Mattis and his ilk, now have us on the precepts of a Nuclear War, not only with Russia but with China and Iran, as well. When the sparks start flying - there isn't going to be much left in it's path. Like Putin remarked, "Few will survive".

EXACTLY. Pash and DBZ, what is up with you two guys???

I agree with Laura on this issue. The time for the Trumpy phase is over for me. President elect Donald Trump has "tried" and been neutralized at every step (although he was extremely ambitious which is a requirement to run I think). Focusing on the real enemy seems much more crucial at this phase of the game. And I think that is the meaning of the "man behind the curtain". The exposure is out there for those who desire to "see". It is painful to watch the capture of the presidency but no use "crying over spilt milk" as they say.

 

[angelburst29]

I agree with Laura on this issue. The time for the Trumpy phase is over for me. President elect Donald Trump has "tried" and been neutralized at every step (although he was extremely ambitious which is a requirement to run I think). Focusing on the real enemy seems much more crucial at this phase of the game. And I think that is the meaning of the "man behind the curtain". The exposure is out there for those who desire to "see". It is painful to watch the capture of the presidency but no use "crying over spilt milk" as they say.

The one thing - that I will give Trump immense credit for, especially now that more information has been surfacing of behind the scenes "pay-to-play" schemes - his Nomination and Inauguration on January 20, 2017 put a temporary halt and snag in the Deep States War Plans!

It has been stated that "Obama's legacy" and the Deep States continued covert activities - depended on "Killery" getting into the White House.

The Obama ‘legacy’ consists of an international order of globalized capital and multiple wars. The continuity of Obama’s ‘glorious legacy’ initially depended on the election of Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, for its part, promised to dismantle or drastically revise the Obama Doctrine of an international order based on multiple wars, neo-colonial ‘nation’ building and free trade. A furious Obama ‘informed’ (threatened) the newly-elected President Trump that he would face the combined hostility of the entire State apparatus, Wall Street and the mass media if he proceeded to fulfill his election promises of economic nationalism and thus undermine the US-centered global order.

Trump’s bid to shift from Obama’s sanctions and military confrontation to economic reconciliation with Russia was countered by a hornet’s nest of accusations ...... https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-politics-of-military-ascendancy/5609252

Senator Ron Paul tried to come to Trump's defense and limit Mattis/Pentagon's War efforts but was shot down by the U.S. Senate.

The US Senate voted against a legislation aimed at repealing the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), a resolution which was adopted shortly after September 11, 2001, terror attacks proposed by Republican Senator Rand Paul.

US Senate Blocks Repeal of Authorizations for Bush-Era Wars in Afghanistan, Iraq
https://sputniknews.com/us/201709131057365483-us-senate-repeal-war-bush-iraq-afghanistan/

The US Senate on Wednesday blocked a measure to repeal authorization for the Bush-era wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Senate voted 61-36 in favor of killing Senator Ron Paul's Amendment #871 to HR 280, which would have repealed the authorization for use of US military force in Iraq and Afghanistan. The measure would have ended the authorizations for use of military force after six months.

Trump upset the "Apple-cart" and sent the Military Industrial Complex scrambling to complete their War plans. Under Killery, their activities would have continued "uninterrupted" and buried in media-spin.

Also, I think that the physical meeting between Trump and Putin - in a highly publicized media event - was the Deep States worse nightmare.

Personally, I tend to side step comparing Trump to Putin. Other than, they both deeply love their Country and are very much part of the landscape and put the people and their needs "first", their backgrounds and approaches to handling affairs are very different.

Putin's early life experiences "are of War and it's consequences" and hardships. Through his own efforts, he's highly self disciplined with moral stability. He studied Law and then went into Intelligence (KGB). He has carried that background and some of those connections into his Political life. The public figure we see as Russian President, isn't just "one man" but a highly educated and organized Staff with a system of check and balances - all with the same goals in mind.

With Trump, I'll admit, I don't know a lot of his background, other than, he's a successful businessman. Back-dated video's of his personal and Political views seem to be consistent - up to the present. "Make America Great Again" seems to be more than an ideology but something he truly believes in. He has a background and experience in Corporate business dealings, banking and finance and completion of goals and the needed qualities, to help turn our economy and social structure around. But he has only been in Office for eight months and any attempts to fill his Positions have been met on the other end - by dragging their feet. Those that Trump has appointed have been heavily scrutinized, to the point of leaving on their own or being fired. Unlike Putin, Trump only has a hand full of people supporting him and anything he tries to do - is blocked, one way or the other.

I would like to think, that Trump is "too determined" to give up, even under the adverse pressure, he has had to endure?

 

[goyacobol]

I have used the term "captured" which happens to be the title of a book by democrat senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. His book uses "captured" to apply to the changes in supreme court appointments to favor big business and their influence on the election process and lobbying. I am seeing president Trump's situation as a "capture" almost like a prisoner of war.

"I would like to think, that Trump is "too determined" to give up, even under the adverse pressure, he has had to endure?"

I am hoping that the prisoner may still escape. We don't have to just give up yet either do we?

I can only think of 3 congressmen that have supported Trump and they are Senator Ron Paul, his son Rand Paul and Senator Richard Black of Virginia. There may be others I haven't noticed.

Not a big support group is it?

 

[angelburst29]

Well, I guess this blows things "Wide OPEN"! Meet The BOSS ... (Mattis - get on your tippy-toes and Salute your GOD!)

‘Nothing Less Than Historic’: US Christens First Military Base Ever in Israel 19.09.2017
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201709191057533832-historic-US-christens-base-israel/

The US Air Force formally cut the ribbon on its first permanent base in Israel at Bislach Air Base Monday in a move Israel Defense Forces Brig. Gen. Zvi Haimovitch called “nothing less than historic.”

“This is the first time that we have an American flag flying in an IDF base,” the general said, who is also head of the Israeli Air Force’s Aerial Defense Command. “The base is here to stay,” Haimovitch told reporters who were concerned about the activity of dozens of US troops who will live there.
.”It involved a significant allocation of resources, in the understanding that this was right and necessary part of the United States’ assets in Israel,”
he said, according to a Tuesday Haaretz report.

The air base is situated in Negev, a desert region in southern Israel, where the IDF operates its School of Air Defense, Haimovitch was quoted as saying by Hamodia, a Haredi Jewish English-language daily.

One of the main purposes of the US presence in the country has to do with missile defense systems, according to Military.com. There are conflicting reports regarding which military specifically will retain jurisdiction over the base. For instance, it wouldn’t be unprecedented for the US to simply rent out real estate to install a military base: Camp Lemmonier in Djibouti sits on leased land.

Military.com reports “the base is located within an existing Israeli air force base and will operate under Israeli military directives,” though according to Hamodia, the US soldiers “will be operating American systems, not Israeli ones.”

Israel maintains a robust anti-missile apparatus with the support of US technology in some cases. Approximately 100 US soldiers have been stationed in the Negev Desert since 2012 operating the Band-X radar system to integrate signals from guided-missile Aegis destroyers, military satellites in space, and ground based interceptors, Gizmodo reported at the time. The Band-X radar has since been renamed to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

 

[A Jay]

Ya know, I can't help think that there may have been threats to his wife and children that could have tipped the balance of his caving in. It most likely would have happened anyway, but if one has a heart, one can be gotten to by threatening their families. Plus, I have never, and still do not, trust his son-in-law who seems to have a great deal of influence over him.

I've been thinking along similar lines oftentimes. You know, it's easy for us, the outsiders, to sit back and judge Trump. But if we imagine ourselves in his shoes - the severe pressure 24/7 on him and all his family from all sides - would we actually be able to withstand any longer than he did? Vladimir Putin for instance, keeps all information regarding his family strictly confidential - and for good reason, I think.

But we could say the same about Reagan who was a pro working class pro union guy turned into one of the biggest instruments of the Neo Cons and corporations. It seemed to start after he was almost assasinated.

And who knows if Obama was for real and quickly shut up with threats to his family to continue the US legacy?

What I'm saying here is that can always be used to be a lame duck, promise a lot and never deliver. Like you said, Putin is not using that excuse because he is careful. But with Trump, I see the danger of false hope distracting people while the PTB further their agenda, whereas with Hitlary, it would be obvious and there probably would be a lot more constructive dissent.

No, with Hillary, it would not be obvious in the same way. Trump's troubles have exposed the Man Behind the Curtain in a way that Hillary never would have. There would be no clear exposure of the CIA actions, MSM and how it is completely controlled by CIA, and so much more. In fact, they are practically making a martyr out of Trump and that is really going to get a lot of people mad at the RIGHT people: Deep State and its propaganda arm.

I agree. Without Trump coming in and trying to shake things up, the PTB would still be safely hidden behind their curtain and life would have gone on under Hillary the same as it was under Obama. Which is to say no real political dissent, and any dissent being directed towards the wrong people.

As has been said before, using the media as a metric of who is and is not in the club Trump was clearly not their guy. Not until they broke him and cut him off from his support group. Even now, I don't think he's their guy. Not like Obama and Hillary are in any case.

 

[angelburst29]

In a democracy, no one should be comforted to hear that generals have imposed discipline on an elected Head of State. That was never supposed to happen in the United States. Now it has.

America's Slow-Motion Military Coup
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-18/americas-slow-motion-military-coup

Among the most enduring political images of the 20th century was the military junta. It was a group of grim-faced officers — usually three — who rose to control a state. The junta would tolerate civilian institutions that agreed to remain subservient, but in the end enforced its own will. As recently as a few decades ago, military juntas ruled important countries including Chile, Argentina, Turkey, and Greece.

These days the junta system is making a comeback in, of all places, Washington. Ultimate power to shape American foreign and security policy has fallen into the hands of three military men: General James Mattis, the secretary of defense; General John Kelly, President Trump’s chief of staff; and General H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser. They do not put on their ribbons to review military parades or dispatch death squads to kill opponents, as members of old-style juntas did. Yet their emergence reflects a new stage in the erosion of our political norms and the militarization of our foreign policy. Another veil is dropping.

Given the president’s ignorance of world affairs, the emergence of a military junta in Washington may seem like welcome relief. After all, its three members are mature adults with global experience — unlike Trump and some of the wacky political operatives who surrounded him when he moved into the White House. Already they have exerted a stabilizing influence. Mattis refuses to join the rush to bomb North Korea, Kelly has imposed a measure of order on the White House staff, and McMaster pointedly distanced himself from Trump’s praise for white nationalists after the violence in Charlottesville.


Being ruled by generals seems preferable to the alternative. It isn’t. - Military officers, like all of us, are products of their background and environment. The three members of Trump’s junta have 119 years of uniformed service between them. They naturally see the world from a military perspective and conceive military solutions to its problems. That leads toward a distorted set of national priorities, with military “needs” always rated more important than domestic ones.

Trump has made clear that when he must make foreign policy choices, he will defer to “my generals.” Mattis, the new junta’s strongman, is the former head of Central Command, which directs American wars in the Middle East and Central Asia. Kelly is also an Iraq veteran. McMaster has commanded troops in Iraq and Afghanistan almost without interruption since he led a tank company in the 1991 Gulf War.

Military commanders are trained to fight wars, not to decide whether fighting makes strategic sense. They may be able to tell Trump how many troops are necessary to sustain our present mission in Afghanistan, for example, but they are not trained either to ask or answer the larger question of whether the mission serves America’s long-term interest. That is properly the job of diplomats. Unlike soldiers, whose job is to kill people and break things, diplomats are trained to negotiate, defuse conflicts, coolly assess national interest and design policies to advance it. Notwithstanding Mattis’s relative restraint on North Korea, all three members of Trump’s junta promote the confrontational approach that has brought protracted war in Afghanistan, Iraq and beyond, while fueling tension in Europe and East Asia.

Our new junta is different from classic ones like, for example, the “National Council for Peace and Order” that now rules Thailand. First, our junta’s interest is only international relations, not domestic policy. Second, it did not seize power in a coup, but derives its authority from the favor of an elected president. Third and most important, it main goal is not to impose a new order but to enforce an old one.

Last month, President Trump faced a crucial decision about the future of America’s war in Afghanistan. This was a potential turning point. Four years ago Trump tweeted, “Let’s get out of Afghanistan.” If he had followed that impulse and announced that he was bringing American troops home, the political and military elite in Washington would have been stunned. But junta members swung into action. They persuaded Trump to announce that instead of withdrawing, he would do the opposite: reject “rapid exit” from Afghanistan, increase troop strength, and continue “killing terrorists.”

It is no great surprise that Trump has been drawn into the foreign policy mainstream; the same happened to President Obama early in his presidency. More ominous is that Trump has turned much of his power over to generals. Worst of all, many Americans find this reassuring. They are so disgusted by the corruption and shortsightedness of our political class that they turn to soldiers as an alternative ... It is a dangerous temptation.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York, U.S., September 18, 2017.

Trump to Netanyahu: 'Good Chance' for Peace Between Israel and the Palestinians (Video)
_http://www.haaretz.com/us-news/1.812991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9SRBzDuZTU (3:04 min.)

U.S. President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that he wants to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and that he still believes doing so is possible.

Trump made the remarks ahead of the hour-long meeting with Netanyahu in New York. A few minutes earlier, he had sent the same message on his Twitter account.

Netanyahu and his staff have insisted in recent days that his meeting with Trump would focus on Iran, and he seemed a bit surprised by the president’s remarks. He himself said at the press event that he wants to discuss “the terrible nuclear deal with Iran and how to roll back Iran’s growing aggression in the region, especially in Syria.”

Prior to Trump's talk with Netanyahu, which marked the leaders' first meeting since the president came to Israel in May, senior Israeli and American officials said the two leaders would discuss the nuclear deal between Iran and the great powers and Trump's efforts to advance the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly, and like many of his previous speeches to that forum he is expected to focus on the Iranian issue. A day later, Trump is slated to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss jump-starting the peace process.

Analysis: Knowing US President Trump has no lawful cause to withdraw from the nuclear agreement, the Israeli political echelon is using his election promise to pressure him to compensate Israel by acting against Iranian presence in Syria.

Demand to cancel Iran deal is an Israeli spin
_https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5017556,00.html

In the current state of affairs, there’s absolutely no chance the nuclear agreement with Iran would be cancelled, and there’s no chance the United States would walk away from the agreement. There’s a simple reason for that: None of the countries and international organizations that signed the agreement have an interest in violating it.

On the contrary, it’s clearly in the best interest of everyone—including the US and Israel—to uphold the nuclear agreement with Iran and then increase the measures to supervise its implementation in letter and spirit. The US, for example, is currently embroiled in an active nuclear dispute with North Korea, and cancelling the nuclear agreement with Iran will only cause trouble on another front and increase China and Russia’s extortion abilities towards the US.

Moreover, the US has no interest in withdrawing from the nuclear agreement with Iran because all its European partners would not follow in its footsteps and, as a result, Iran would have no problem bypassing the sanctions that would be imposed by the US. An American demand to withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran might also split the United Nations Security Council.

Israel has no interest in cancelling the nuclear agreement as such a move might force it to enter an active—and perhaps military—conflict with Iran, while the US is completely focused on the crisis with North Korea and on the other difficulties the Trump administration faces.

In addition, Israel is likely preparing a series of technological, cyber and military measures for the day Iran will no longer be committed to the nuclear agreement. In 10 years from now, Iran will likely try to obtain a nuclear weapon, like North Korea did.

Israel also has an interest to wait and see how Washington solves its crisis with Pyongyang. The second ballistic missile fired by North Korea over Japan last Thursday comes as another sign this crisis could get worse and the US might have to act. An American military operation against North Korea could make any activity against the nuclear agreement with Iran unnecessary.

When the Iranians see what happens to North Korea after pushing its luck with the US, they might think twice before trying to obtain nuclear weapons. In this case, Israel would simply enjoy the windfall.

Leverage of pressure - Another reason why the nuclear agreement with Iran shouldn’t be cancelled is the fact the Islamic Republic is implementing it in letter and spirit—and American intelligence agencies, Israel and the UN inspectors monitoring the implementation of the deal in Iran can testify to that. If Iran isn’t violating the agreement, US President Donald Trump has no lawful cause to cancel it or withdraw from it. Congress, which is supposed to receive a report from the president next month on whether Tehran is meeting the terms of the agreement with the US, won’t allow him to walk away from it for no reason.

The government in Jerusalem and the Defense Ministry and General Staff in Tel Aviv are well aware of this. In meetings with senior defense officials, the unequivocal recommendation is to avoid pressuring the US to withdraw from the nuclear agreement, but rather to establish tight cooperation with American intelligence agencies that are monitoring the nuclear program and Iran’s fulfillment of its commitments.

Moreover, Israel has a clear security interest in reaching understandings with the American administration on the measures and actions that will be taken after the nuclear agreement expires and Iran renews its race towards a nuclear bomb.

Allegedly, there’s a contradiction between the defense establishment’s stance and the prime minister and defense minister’s unequivocal demand that the US withdraw from the nuclear agreement signed by former US President Barack Obama. Trump promised to do just that during his election campaign, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is allegedly demanding he stand by his word.

Is there a difference of opinion here between the Israeli defense establishment and the political echelon? Not necessarily. From conversations with state officials, it’s quite possible Israel is stepping up its demand that Trump withdraw from the nuclear agreement as a leverage for pressuring him to accept Israel’s other, more important, demands in the Iranian context, which have to do with Iranian deployment of forces and presence in Syria. Israel is trying to pressure the American administration to boost its intelligence supervision of Iran and devise a military and diplomatic plan together with Israel for the day the nuclear agreement expires.

The pressure on the Trump administration over the Iranian presence in Syria will definitely affect Russia and Syria, as well as China and the US. That pressure could also prompt the American administration to “compensate” Israel for the nuclear agreement by creating tight cooperation ahead of the day Iran resumes its nuclear race.

The conclusion is simple: Israel is taking advantage of Trump’s election promise to leverage the issues it really cares about. Knowing the Trump administration won’t walk away from the nuclear agreement with Iran, Jerusalem hopes to get something in return in much more important areas.

PM presents US president with plan on how to go about changing the agreement, argues that other world powers will likely follow US's lead

Netanyahu says Trump willing to ‘fix’ Iran nuclear deal
_https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-says-he-presented-trump-with-plan-to-fix-iran-nuclear-deal/

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented US President Donald Trump with a detailed plan on how to “fix” the nuclear agreement with Iran during a meeting Monday, he said.

“There is an American willingness to fix the deal, and I presented possible ways to do it,” he told reporters after his hour-long meeting with the president. “I presented a certain course of action how to do it,” he added, declining to provide more details.

The worst aspect of the 2015 nuclear pact that six world powers struck with Iran is the so-called sunset clause, which will allow Tehran to enrich unlimited amounts of uranium once the deal elapses in about a decade, he said. “But there are also other parts that need to be changed.”

Netanyahu dismissed reports about senior US security officials advocating for the deal to be left in place unaltered. “I think that some support [my position], and others oppose it. So what? I made my position very clear, as I told you: either change or cancel the agreement. Because if it won’t be changed, it will lead to Iran’s nuclearization. That’s my position, that’s what I think needs to be done.”

 

[Persej]

Rob Reiner and Morgan Freeman Declare ‘War’ on Russia

With the newly formed Committee to Investigate Russia, filmmaker Rob Reiner tells The Daily Beast he plans to do what President Trump won’t.

“People always joke that he’s the voice of God,” Rob Reiner says of Morgan Freeman. And while that is a role Freeman has portrayed in multiple films, he also has some experience playing the president of the United States.

The first time the Oscar-winning actor took on the role of president, in 1998’s Deep Impact, he was charged with protecting the human race from a giant comet. In a video released Tuesday for Reiner’s newly formed Committee to Investigate Russia, Freeman addresses a different type of existential threat.

“We have been attacked,” Freeman says into the camera. “We are at war.”

The actor is talking about the coordinated cyber attacks that intelligence agencies believe Russia executed against the U.S. in an effort to elect Donald Trump. “We need our president to speak directly to us and tell us the truth,” Freeman says, as he sits behind a desk and delivers the message he and Reiner want to hear from Trump.

“My fellow Americans, during this past election, we came under attack by the Russian government,” Freeman says in his most presidential voice. “I’ve called on Congress and our intelligence community to use every resource available to conduct a thorough investigation to determine exactly how this happened.”

In a phone interview with The Daily Beast on Tuesday, Reiner says that he enlisted Freeman to deliver this message because of the “weight and gravitas” his voice carries.

“We’re trying to break through and explain to people why this is important and that there is a serious problem here that people don’t seem to really grasp,” Reiner says. He’s spent all morning promoting his new project on cable news and sounds slightly exhausted but even more impassioned about his political cause than usual. “I’m trying to shine a light on all this and, using him, I think it helps people stand up and take notice.”

http://<iframe width="585" height="...xU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This is so sad. I always liked Freeman. Probably many others as well, which is why they used him for this propaganda.

 

[angelburst29]

Rob Reiner and Morgan Freeman Declare ‘War’ on Russia

With the newly formed Committee to Investigate Russia, filmmaker Rob Reiner tells The Daily Beast he plans to do what President Trump won’t.

“People always joke that he’s the voice of God,” Rob Reiner says of Morgan Freeman. And while that is a role Freeman has portrayed in multiple films, he also has some experience playing the president of the United States.

The first time the Oscar-winning actor took on the role of president, in 1998’s Deep Impact, he was charged with protecting the human race from a giant comet. In a video released Tuesday for Reiner’s newly formed Committee to Investigate Russia, Freeman addresses a different type of existential threat.

“We have been attacked,” Freeman says into the camera. “We are at war.”

The actor is talking about the coordinated cyber attacks that intelligence agencies believe Russia executed against the U.S. in an effort to elect Donald Trump. “We need our president to speak directly to us and tell us the truth,” Freeman says, as he sits behind a desk and delivers the message he and Reiner want to hear from Trump.

“My fellow Americans, during this past election, we came under attack by the Russian government,” Freeman says in his most presidential voice. “I’ve called on Congress and our intelligence community to use every resource available to conduct a thorough investigation to determine exactly how this happened.”

In a phone interview with The Daily Beast on Tuesday, Reiner says that Reiner says that he enlisted Freeman to deliver this message because of the “weight and gravitas” his voice carries.

We’re trying to break through and explain to people why this is important and that there is a serious problem here that people don’t seem to really grasp,” Reiner says. He’s spent all morning promoting his new project on cable news and sounds slightly exhausted but even more impassioned about his political cause than usual. “I’m trying to shine a light on all this and, using him, I think it helps people stand up and take notice.”

http://<iframe width="585" height="...xU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This is so sad. I always liked Freeman. Probably many others as well, which is why they used him for this propaganda.

I agree, it is sad. It's a shame that Freeman would use his natural talents to promote "a script" that is part of a fantasy play by other "actor's" on the World stage?

Like any "gig for a performance" - it can be tweaked and modified to reflect a deeper meaning .....

“My fellow Americans, during this past election, we came under attack by the Russian government (American General's - Mattis, Kelly and McMaster ) ,” Freeman says in his most presidential voice. “I’ve called on Congress and our intelligence community to use every resource available to conduct a thorough investigation to determine exactly how this happened.”

Even with Reiner. it's amazing on how truth will shine through - even in propaganda?

We’re trying to break through and explain to people why this is important and that there is a serious problem here that people don’t seem to really grasp,” Reiner says.

Freeman is getting a lot of flak for his role in the video.

Social media is awash with outrage after Hollywood megastar Morgan Freeman appeared in a propaganda video issued by a newly-established anti-Russian non-profit group, in which he declares Washington is at war with Moscow.

Driving Miss Crazy: Morgan Freeman Declares War on Russia at Rob Reiner's Behest
https://sputniknews.com/us/201709201057548106-morgan-freeman-russia-election/

Morgan Freeman is an almost universally beloved figure in the West, and his famed golden voice almost universally beloved across the West, so it's understandable why the newly-established Committee to Investigate Russia might choose him to front its propaganda campaign.

However, initial reactions to the clip on social media suggest the move might've been a titanic misfire, as even supporters of the #TheRussiansDidIt hypothesis criticizing the group, and slamming the video's incendiary tone.

In the two-minute-long video, the Shawshank Redemption star issues a dire warning, "We have been attacked. We are at war."

"My fellow Americans, during this past election, we came under attack by the Russian government. I've called on Congress and our intelligence community to use every resource available to conduct a thorough investigation to determine exactly how this happened. We need our president to speak directly to us and tell us the truth," Freeman says.

No Experience Required - The Committee to Investigate Russia aims to help US citizens "understand and recognize the scope and scale of Russia's continuing attacks on our democracy" — a lofty ambition, but given the weight of the group's advisory board, one it will surely have little trouble achieving.

The five-strong board is led by Rob Reiner, director of "This Is Spinal Tap" and "When Harry Met Sally"; James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence, who committed perjury in 2013 when he told a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence the NSA did not "wittingly" collect data on US citizens; Max Boot, a neoconservative blogger; Norman Ornstein, an obscure political scientist with no discernible history of research into Russia; Charles Sykes, a right-wing radio talk show host.

To promote the launch, board members appeared on numerous mainstream US news channels — Reiner, a consistent Trump critic who has called for "all out war" against the president, told CNN he was moved to found the group as he felt Americans didn't understand the "gravity of what the Russians were able to do."

"They're trying to undermine our democracy. And for some reason we are not understanding the gravity of this. And I think a big part of that is because the president of the United States is not saying, in the Oval Office, "my fellow Americans, we've been attacked." So I started reaching out to people who are patriots," the director said.

Clapper likewise has a record of making controversial statements about Trump and Russia alike. He has previously suggested the president is secretly working for the Kremlin, and claimed Russians are "genetically" predisposed to manipulate and infiltrate.

Boot, an avowed Republican, has also been consistently condemnatory of Trump, and caused consternation in some conservative circles by announcing "real" Republicans should vote for Hillary Clinton in the Presidential election.

In the meantime, despite suggestions of Russian interference echoing since before the November 2016 presidential election, no evidence of Kremlin-backed covert interventions have been publicly offered, despite the House and Senate Intelligence committees launching investigations into the matter.

According to the Kremlin spokesman, US actor Morgan Freeman’s words about the war between Russian and the US were an “emotional exaltation.”

'Emotional Exaltation': Kremlin on Morgan Freeman's Claims US at War With Russia
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201709201057547577-freeman-comment-russia-us-war-emotions/

The Kremlin does not take seriously US actor Morgan Freeman’s words that the United States is at war with Russia seriously, it believes such claims to be an “emotional exaltation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

“As you know, many creative people easily succumb to, fall victims to emotional overloads without having real information about the real state of affairs, they are victims to emotional exaltation … You know, this can hardly be taken seriously because it is clear that such claims are not based on real information, they are exclusively emotional in nature,” Peskov told reporters commenting on the video.

Twitter just exploded with memes and jokes over White House Chief of Staff John Kelly's facepalming reaction to Donald Trump's Tuesday speech at the UN where he lambasted "Rocket Man,” Kim Jong-un, "rogue" Iran and "dictatorship" in Venezuela.

Kelly's 'Facepalm' During Trump's UN Speech Causes Internet Meltdown
https://sputniknews.com/us/201709201057546723-trump-kelly-reaction/

Sitting right behind First Lady Melania Trump, Kelly, once dubbed the Beacon of Discipline by the New York Times, was spotted putting his left hand over his head while the US Commander in Chief was addressing the 193-nation body.

Photos of the White House chief of staff’s frustrated reaction immediately went viral online resulting in a flurry of tweets.
https://twitter.com/Kyle_Feldscher/status/910200900341387264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsputniknews.com%2Fus%2F201709201057546723-trump-kelly-reaction%2F

Some people noted that retired General John Kelly was having a bad day and questioning his own legacy during Trump’s speech.
https://twitter.com/votevets/status/910242948880769026/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsputniknews.com%2Fus%2F201709201057546723-trump-kelly-reaction%2F

​​One Twitter user noticed the similarity between John Kelly and a Star Trek meme.
https://twitter.com/Pappiness/status/910235802663358466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsputniknews.com%2Fus%2F201709201057546723-trump-kelly-reaction%2F

​Some suggested that the people sitting right next to Kelly did not look particularly happy about the president’s speech.
https://twitter.com/TruthinGov2016/status/910243016438423552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsputniknews.com%2Fus%2F201709201057546723-trump-kelly-reaction%2F

Others thought Melania Trump was looking at the president in a bewildered manner.
https://twitter.com/Chelseashow/status/910220249059827712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsputniknews.com%2Fus%2F201709201057546723-trump-kelly-reaction%2F

​This isn’t the first time the White House chief of staff looked upset during a Trump speech, though.

He reacted in a similar fashion last month when Trump told reporters that there were bad guys “on both sides” of the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one woman dead and injured dozens of others.

 

[Cosmos]

Indeed. I think we can't even imagine the sheer pressure somebody like Trump or Putin is under in such a position, when they have their heart at the right place and want to do decent and rational things. From my point of view, it is nonetheless commendable that he even tried to stay on his course for that long, in the heart of the psycho empire. It is really a pity though, that Trump didn't or couldn't use the much needed opportunity to learn a number of concrete things from Putin and how he handled it in russia. That actually was from the beginning the only hope I could see anyway.

Having said that, I think the people who voted for Trump and want him to fulfill his promises, should show now some tough love towards him. Because as the guy in the below video explains, there is much more at stake then Trump. There is a higher picture, and as hard as it might sounds, decent people have to hold him accountable, otherwise all will go down the drain rapidly.

Showing Trump "some tough love" might not be the answer? In the first days of his Presidency, Trump began to implement some of the reforms he had promised during his election. Each and every move - has been either fiercely blocked or marginalized by the Democrats and some Senators, on top of enduring character assassination, to himself and his family. The habitual pressure (from all sides) and the constant manipulation have forced Trump into a corner. "Showing tough love" in my estimation, would be like "beating on a guy - who's already down"? Attention, instead, should be focused on those who are blocking Trump's directives and ignoring or going against his Order's?

Of all the Petitions flying around, the one - most needed - is a Petition directed at General Mattis "to stop" the War efforts?

True American's DO NOT want WAR! ANYWHERE! Yet, Mattis and his ilk, now have us on the precepts of a Nuclear War, not only with Russia but with China and Iran, as well. When the sparks start flying - there isn't going to be much left in it's path. Like Putin remarked, "Few will survive".

EXACTLY. Pash and DBZ, what is up with you two guys???

I agree with Laura on this issue. The time for the Trumpy phase is over for me. President elect Donald Trump has "tried" and been neutralized at every step (although he was extremely ambitious which is a requirement to run I think). Focusing on the real enemy seems much more crucial at this phase of the game. And I think that is the meaning of the "man behind the curtain". The exposure is out there for those who desire to "see". It is painful to watch the capture of the presidency but no use "crying over spilt milk" as they say.

Yes. Giving "Trump tough love" is not only besides the point, counterproductive and cruel, as angelburst29 explained so well, it is also missing the crux of the matter, meaning, focusing on the real enemies here, which is the deep state and their minions, who have tried everything to counteract Trumps rational and human ideas and actions. I apologize for spreading such cruel blaming the victim thinking. It is not fair, right or decent. I'm sorry and thank you for pointing it out angelburst29!

 

[angelburst29]

Yes. Giving "Trump tough love" is not only besides the point, counterproductive and cruel, as angelburst29 explained so well, it is also missing the crux of the matter, meaning, focusing on the real enemies here, which is the deep state and their minions, who have tried everything to counteract Trumps rational and human ideas and actions. I apologize for spreading such cruel blaming the victim thinking. It is not fair, right or decent. I'm sorry and thank you for pointing it out angelburst29!

It wasn't anything personal, Pashalis. Actually, I find your opinions and commentary (on a variety of subjects) to be very level headed and fact-based. There is a certain amount of "discipline and core understanding " in the way you approach and present some of your opinions, which "I respect". It's hard to keep on "a path" of one's undertaking - when you're constantly being bombarded by a steady flow of dis-information and psychological warfare. On our end, we know that it's been planned that way but there is so much stimuli hitting us at the same time, it's nearly impossible - to not get caught up in some deliberate programming.

Getting back to Trump, from recent reports, we're now becoming aware that we have "Three Military Generals as Gatekeepers in the White House". One of those General's, Mattis - has taken center stage. Instead of the General's taking Orders from Trump - it's now the other way around. We, the American people did not elect a General to represent us in the White House! Something has gone "terribly wrong"?

I have to ask ... "What Happened" to Trump? He started his first days in Office - doing what he promised. Now, all of a sudden, he's acting and saying things completely opposite? The sudden transformation is like someone "flipped a switch" between night and day? Trump's speech at the U.N. General Assembly was totally embarrassing to watch. I remember the famous speech Putin gave at the U.N. when he stated, "Do you know what you have done?" directed at the United States. Maybe, it's the same question - we now have to ask those same individuals - about our elected President?

I also have to ask, "After Bannon left, was there some kind of staged assassination attempt - to show Trump who really was "in charge"? Is Trump being blackmailed in some way and the list goes on? Yet, there's the feeling, something terrible happened to make Trump act this way?

At the same time, Killery has gotten "quiet" in lambasting Trump, even to the point of giving an interview, that she is "no longer considering running for Political Office" and is now, trying to promote a book - which she probably didn't write and NO ONE has any interest in?

Whatever is in the works, it seems Russia is taking extra steps in planning security.

The Ministry of Defense of Russia has developed a draft law on the procedure for conscription to the army in case of war.

Putin at the helm: new war-time conscription law assigns responsibility to the President September 19 , 2017
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/09/putin-at-helm-new-war-time-conscription.html

According to the draft law, which is prepared as an act for wartime only, the President of Russia has the power to issue decrees on various aspects of the mobilization of citizens. At the same time, the specialisations of the drafted citizens and the procedure for their distribution among the Armed Forces will be determined by the General Staff of Russia, based on the needs of the Armed Forces.

The bill also provides that the specifics of military duties during the war will be determined by the President, Commander in Chief.

Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Vladimir Jabarov said that if the US unleashes a war against North Korea, Russia will also be involved in the conflict.

"North Korea is located in close proximity to two nuclear powers - China and Russia. If something happens, unfortunately, these countries will also be involved in the conflict," Jabarov said.

 

[angelburst29]

Trump was seen as a presidential candidate who would possibly move towards a less interventionist foreign policy. That hope is gone. The insurgency that brought Trump to the top was defeated by a counter-insurgency campaign waged by the U.S. military. (Historically its first successful one). The military has taken control of the White House process and it is now taking control of its policies.

How the US Military Defeated “Trump’s Insurgency”
https://www.globalresearch.ca/how-the-us-military-defeated-trumps-insurgency/5609898 (By Moon of Alabama)

It is schooling Trump on globalism and its “indispensable” role in it. Trump was insufficiently supportive of their desires and thus had to undergo reeducation:

When briefed on the diplomatic, military and intelligence posts, the new president would often cast doubt on the need for all the resources. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson organized the July 20 session to lay out the case for maintaining far-flung outposts — and to present it, using charts and maps, in a way the businessman-turned-politician would appreciate.

Trump was hauled into a Pentagon basement ‘tank’ and indoctrinated by the glittering four-star generals he admired since he was a kid:

The session was, in effect, American Power 101 and the student was the man working the levers. It was part of the ongoing education of a president who arrived at the White House with no experience in the military or government and brought with him advisers deeply skeptical of what they labeled the “globalist” worldview. In coordinated efforts and quiet conversations, some of Trump’s aides have worked for months to counter that view, hoping the president can be persuaded to maintain — if not expand — the American footprint and influence abroad.

Trump was sold the establishment policies he originally despised. No alternative view was presented to him.

It is indisputable that the generals are now ruling in Washington DC. They came to power over decades by shaping culture through their sponsorship of Hollywood, by manipulating the media through “embedded” reporting and by forming and maintaining the countries infrastructure through the Army Corps of Engineers. The military, through the NSA as well as through its purchasing power, controls the information flow on the internet. Until recently the military establishment only ruled from behind the scene. The other parts of the power triangle, the corporation executives and the political establishment, were more visible and significant. But during the 2016 election the military bet on Trump and is now, after he unexpectedly won, collecting its price.

Trump’s success as the “Not-Hillary” candidate was based on an anti-establishment insurgency. Representatives of that insurgency, Flynn, Bannon and the MAGA voters, drove him through his first months in office. An intense media campaign was launched to counter them and the military took control of the White House. The anti-establishment insurgents were fired. Trump is now reduced to public figure head of a stratocracy – a military junta which nominally follows the rule of law.

Stephen Kinzer describes this as America’s slow-motion military coup:

Ultimate power to shape American foreign and security policy has fallen into the hands of three military men ....

Being ruled by generals seems preferable to the alternative. It isn’t.

It leads toward a distorted set of national priorities, with military “needs” always rated more important than domestic ones.

It is no great surprise that Trump has been drawn into the foreign policy mainstream; the same happened to President Obama early in his presidency. More ominous is that Trump has turned much of his power over to generals. Worst of all, many Americans find this reassuring. They are so disgusted by the corruption and shortsightedness of our political class that they turn to soldiers as an alternative. It is a dangerous temptation.

The country has fallen to that temptation even on social-economic issues:

In the wake of the deadly racial violence in Charlottesville this month, five of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were hailed as moral authorities for condemning hate in less equivocal terms than the commander in chief did. On social policy, military leaders have been voices for moderation.

The junta is bigger than its three well known leaders:

Kelly, Mattis and McMaster are not the only military figures serving at high levels in the Trump administration. CIA Director Mike Pompeo, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke each served in various branches of the military, and Trump recently tapped former Army general Mark S. Inch to lead the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

the National Security Council .... counts two other generals on the senior staff.

This is no longer a Coup Waiting to Happen The coup has happened with few noticing it and ever fewer concerned about it. Everything of importance now passes through the Junta’s hands:

* Chief of staff John Kelly initiated a new policymaking process in which just he and one other aide .... will review all documents that cross the Resolute desk.

* The new system .... is designed to ensure that the president won’t see any external policy documents, internal policy memos, agency reports and even news articles that haven’t been vetted.

To control Trump the junta filters his information input and eliminates any potentially alternative view:

Staff who oppose (policy xyz) no longer have unfettered access to Trump, and nor do allies on the outside .... Kelly now has real control over the most important input: the flow of human and paper advice into the Oval Office. For a man as obsessed about his self image as Trump, a new flow of inputs can make the world of difference.

The Trump insurgency against the establishment was marked by a mostly informal information and decision process. That has been destroyed and replaced:

* Worried that Trump would end existing US spending/policies (largely, still geared to cold war priorities), the senior military staff running the Trump administration launched a counter-insurgency against the insurgency.

* General Kelly, Trump’s Chief of Staff, has put Trump on a establishment-only media diet.

* In short, by controlling Trump’s information flow with social media/networks, the generals smashed the insurgency’s OODA loop (observe, orient, decide, act). Deprived of this connection, Trump is now weathervaning to cater to the needs of the establishment ....

The Junta members dictate their policies to Trump by only proposing to him certain alternatives. The one that is most preferable to them will be presented as the only desirable one. “There are no alternatives,” Trump will be told again and again.

Thus we get a continuation of a failed Afghanistan policy and will soon get a militarily aggressive policy towards Iran.

Other countries noticed how the game has changed. The real decisions are made by the generals, Trump is ignored as a mere figurehead:

Asked whether he was predicting war with North Korea, former defense minister of Japan, Satoshi Morimoto said: “I think Washington has not decided … The final decision-maker is US Defense Secretary Mr Mattis … Not the president.“

Climate change, its local catastrophes and the infrastructure problems it creates within the U.S. will further extend the military role in shaping domestic U.S. policy.

Nationalistic indoctrination, already at abnormal heights in the U.S. society, will further increase. Military control will creep into ever extending fields of once staunchly civilian areas of policy. (Witness the increasing militarization of the police.)

It is only way to sustain the empire.

It is doubtful that Trump will be able to resist the policies imposed on him. Any flicker of resistance will be smashed. The outside insurgency which enabled his election is left without a figurehead, It will likely disperse.

The system won.

 

[goyacobol]

I hope you don't mind but this is starting to remind me of something I used to see on TV...

I think this could be one form of applying Lobaczewski's salad therapy.

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Lobaczewski, Andrew M.. Political Ponerology (A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes)

As adduced above, the anomaly distinguished as essential psychopathy inspires the overall phenomenon in a well-developed pathocracy and betrays biological analogies to the well known phenomenon called Daltonism, color-blindness or near-blindness as regard to red and green. For the purpose of an intellectual exercise, let us thus imagine that Daltonists have managed to take over power in some country and have forbidden the citizens from distinguishing these colors, thus eliminating the distinction between green (unripe) and ripe tomatoes. Special vegetable patch inspectors armed with pistols and pickets would patrol the areas to make sure the citizens were not selecting only ripe tomatoes to pick, which would indicate that they were distinguishing between red and green. Such inspectors could not, of course, be totally color-blind themselves (otherwise they could not exercise this extremely important function). They could not suffer more than near-blindness as regards these colors.

However, they would have to belong to the clan of people made nervous by any discussion about colors. With such authorities around, the citizens might even be willing to eat a green tomato and affirm quite convincingly that it was ripe. But once the severe inspectors left for some other garden far away, there would be the shower of comments it does not behoove me to reproduce in a scientific work. The citizens would then pick nicely vine-ripened tomatoes, make a salad with cream,and add a few drops of rum for flavor.

May I suggest that all normal people whom fate has forced to live under pathocratic rule make the serving of a salad according to the above recipe into a symbolic custom. Any guest recognizing the symbol by its color and aroma will refrain from making any comments. Such a custom might hasten the reinstallation of a normal man’s system. The pathological authorities are convinced that the appropriate pedagogical, indoctrinational, propaganda, and terrorist means can teach a person with a normal instinctive substratum, range of feelings, and basic intelligence to think and feel according to their own different fashion. This conviction is only slightly less unrealistic, psychologically speaking, than the belief that people able to see colors normally can be broken of this habit. Actually, normal people cannot get rid of the characteristics with which the Homo sapiens species was endowed by its phylogenetic past. Such people will thus never stop feeling and perceiving psychological and socio-moral phenomena in much the same way their ancestors had been doing for hundreds of generations.

Salad anyone?