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…
Trump
Authoritarianism, Kakistocracy, Mendacity, Trump
‘Trump is never going to be a proper president’
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
America, Babbittry, City, Local Government, Trump
‘The Closest Thing We Have to State TV’
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
In the clip above, Seth Meyers considers the relationship between Fox News and the Trump Administration, concluding that Fox News is ‘the closest thing we have to state TV,’ represents ‘sycophantic coverage,’ and that ‘instead of a Bible, Trump should have been sworn in on a TV Guide.’ (H/t to Raw Story for the pointer.)…
City, Kakistocracy, Newspapers, Trump
That Which Paved the Way
by JOHN ADAMS • • 1 Comment
Adam Khan, writing at @Khanoisseur, has an answer for why Trump was able to prevail, despite myriad political & personal failings. Khan’s answer explains part of Trump’s success (and on the national front, I think he’s chiefly right): Investigative journalism was gutted at news rooms during the recession–partly why Trump was possible @fredericg https://t.co/SIPiRjLB62 — Adam…
Architecture, Fashion, Mendacity, Television, Trump
How The Apprentice Manufactured Trump
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
The first season of The Apprentice re-introduced Donald Trump to the world as an incredibly successful and intelligent businessman—it was a hit show in 2004 and boosted the Trump brand. The show was a major opportunity for producers to create his persona and sell his image to America. How did they pull this off? And…
City, Mendacity, Trump
A Reminder on Dealmaking
by JOHN ADAMS • • 1 Comment
David Frum, writing about Trump’s failure to advance health care legislation, observes the truth about Trump: Regular reminder that Donald Trump’s core competency is not dealmaking with powerful counter-parties. It is duping gullible victims. — David Frum (@davidfrum) March 24, 2017 That’s right, and cannot be said enough: Trump’s a confidence man, and he preys…
America, City, Conflicts of Interest, Trump
How Foreign Powers Could Try to Buy Trump
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Donald Trump is an unprecedentedly wealthy president, who owns or licenses his name to buildings, casinos, and luxury hotels around the world. An ethics watchdog group has already brought a lawsuit against him for violating the Constitution’s “Emoluments Clause,” which prohibits government officials from receiving gifts from foreign states. Trump has taken few steps to…
America, Elections, Politics, Putin, Russia, Trump
Rep. Adam Schiff’s Opening Statement Outlining Basis of Russia Investigation
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
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…
Kakistocracy, Trump
Trump White House Posts Satirical Essay That Actually Ridicules Trump Budget Plan
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Hard to believe but true: the official White House Daily 1600 (a daily briefing @ https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily) touts a Washington Post satirical essay mocking Trump’s budget approach as though the essay were favorable (as of 11:37 AM ET). Alexandra Petri’s Trump’s budget makes perfect sense and will fix America, and I will tell you why must have…
Putin, Russian Federation, Trump
Trump’s Ex-National Security Adviser Flynn Paid Tens of Thousands by Russian Companies
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
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
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
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…
Kakistocracy, Law, Mendacity, Trump
Axl Rose on Jeff Sessions
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Putin, Russia, Trump
Mark Hamill’s Two-Point Plan
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
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…
Authoritarianism, Politics, Trump
An Eminent Psychiatrist on Trump
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Dr. Allen Frances, professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical College, who served as chairman of the task force that wrote the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (D.S.M.-IV), on 2.14.17 sent a letter to the New York Times in which he addresses questions about Donald Trump’s mental state. (See, An Eminent Psychiatrist…