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Authoritarianism, Putin, Trump, Trump-Russia

‘Very Brazen About It’

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In the video above, Dr. Sarah Kendzior describes the brazen nature of autocracy: not merely does an autocrat flaunt norms, but he does so to remind others of his power, and to attempt to instill in normal, freedom-loving people a feeling of hopelessness in the face of power aberrantly exercised. In response to these tactics,…

Fellow Traveler, Fifth Columnist, Politics, Putin, Russia, Trump, Trump-Russia

The Fellow Travelers

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Jeremy Peters nicely describes the descent of far too many into mere fellow travelers for Putin, a dictator, imperialist, and murderer (Peters is far too mild about Putin, but he’s ably identified the self-hating Americans who support Russian’s dictator, and some of whom are perhaps even fifth columnists for Russia): WASHINGTON — Years before the…

Putin, Russia, Trump

Trump Uses the Same Old Russia Excuses

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For more on how Trump sows fear, uncertainty, or doubt to evade simple, direct questions, see David Graham’s The Trump Uncertainty Principle @ The Atlantic (“When Trump wants to rebut a charge, he seldom flatly denies it. Instead, he generally prefers to sow doubt, skillfully stressing uncertainties to obfuscate and muddy the issue.”) One hears…

Alt-Right, America, City, Liberty, Putin, Russia, Trump

‘What Putin’s team is probably telling him about Trump’

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Michael Morell, former deputy director of the CIA from 2010 to 2013 and twice acting director, and Samantha Vinograd of the National Security Council staff from 2009 to 2013, speculate from experience on What Putin’s team is probably telling him about Trump: This is a speculative account of a memo that Russian President Vladi­mir Putin’s national…

Authoritarianism, Putin, Russia, Trump

Rubin & Kendzior on Trump-Russia

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Jennifer Rubin and Sarah Kendzior offer complimentary observations on Trump-Russia, that compound word for the evident association between Trump and Putin’s authoritarian state. Rubin’s remarks are from yesterday, Kendzior’s from May 20th. Rubin asks, of Trump, Would a spy for Russia be acting any differently?: By whatever means, Russia has reaped unexpected and unparalleled benefits from…

Authoritarianism, Foreign Affairs, Putin, Trump

Sarah Kendzior Ponders Foreign Affairs ‘In the Shadow of Putin’

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Sarah Kendzior, an anthropologist with a background studying the dictatorships in the former Soviet republics of central Asia, speaks to Lindsay Beyerstein on Beyerstein’s The Breach podcast: This week on The Breach, journalist Sarah Kendzior joins us to talk about the weaponization of information in Putin’s Russia. The full extent of Russia’s influence on the 2016 presidential election…

America, Elections, Politics, Putin, Russia, Trump

Rep. Adam Schiff’s Opening Statement Outlining Basis of Russia Investigation

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Prepared text of the statement that Rep. Schiff delivered in the video embedded above: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Director Comey and Admiral Rogers for appearing before us today as the committee holds this first open hearing into the interference campaign waged against our 2016 Presidential election. Last summer, at the height…

Putin, Russian Federation, Trump

Trump’s Ex-National Security Adviser Flynn Paid Tens of Thousands by Russian Companies

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Putin takes care of his useful friends. March 16, 2017 12:00 p.m. CT – Documents obtained by a congressional oversight committee reveal business interests that were previously undisclosed: President Trump’s former national security adviser, Mike Flynn, was paid tens of thousands of dollars by Russian companies shortly before he became a formal adviser to the…

Crime, Putin, Trump

U.S. indicts Russian spies in breach of 500 million Yahoo accounts

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Ellen Nakashima reports on U.S. Justice Department’s charges against agents of the Putin regime – whose leader Trump only recently praised (“I always knew he was very smart!“) – for a vast hacking of American business (Yahoo & realated entities) and consumers: The Justice Department announced Wednesday the indictments of two Russian spies and two criminal hackers in…

Putin, Russia, Trump

Mark Hamill’s Two-Point Plan

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Regarding Trump, Mark Hamill (that Mark Hamill, the one who plays Luke Skywalker), tweeted that two aspects of recent politics deserve diligent inquiry: Focus on 2 things: #1) Investigation of Russia’s involvement in 2016 Election #2) His Tax Returns. America has a right to know.#Resistance https://t.co/OFSkY9hmL5 — Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) February 8, 2017 Of all…