National Democrats thought they could slough off their stunning election defeat last year by blaming Russia rather than looking in the mirror, but that strategy may be collapsing, writes Norman Solomon.
By Norman Solomon
The plan for Democrats to run against Russia may be falling apart.
President Donald Trump being sworn in on Jan. 20, 2017. (Screen shot from Whitehouse.gov)
After squandering much of the last six months on faulting Russians for the horrific presidency of Donald Trump… After blaming America’s dire shortfalls of democracy on plutocrats in Russia more than on plutocrats in America… After largely marketing the brand of their own party as more anti-Russian than pro-working-people… After stampeding many Democratic Party-aligned organizations, pundits and activists into fixating more on Russia than on the thousand chronic cuts to democracy here at home… After soaking up countless hours of TV airtime and vast quantities of ink and zillions of pixels to denounce Russia in place of offering progressive remedies to the deep economic worries of American voters…
Now, Democrats in Congress and other party leaders are starting to face an emerging reality: The “winning issue” of Russia is a losing issue.
The results of a reliable new nationwide poll — and what members of Congress keep hearing when they actually listen to constituents back home — cry out for a drastic reorientation of Democratic Party passions. And a growing number of Democrats in Congress are getting the message.
“Frustrated Democrats hoping to elevate their election fortunes have a resounding message for party leaders: Stop talking so much about Russia,” The Hill reported over the weekend. In sharp contrast to their party’s top spokespeople, “rank-and-file Democrats say the Russia-Trump narrative is simply a non-issue with district voters, who are much more worried about bread-and-butter economic concerns like jobs, wages and the cost of education and healthcare.”
The Hill coverage added: “In the wake of a string of special-election defeats, an increasing number of Democrats are calling for an adjustment in party messaging, one that swings the focus from Russia to the economy. The outcome of the 2018 elections, they say, hinges on how well the Democrats manage that shift.
A Big Disconnect
Such assessments aren’t just impressionistic or anecdotal. A major poll has just reached conclusions that indicate party leaders have been operating under political illusions. Conducted last week, the Harvard-Harris national poll found a big disconnect between the Russia obsession of Democratic Party elites in Washington and voters around the country.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaking at the Women for Women International conference on May 2, 2017. (Screen shot from YouTube)
The poll “reveals the risks inherent for the Democrats, who are hoping to make big gains — or even win back the House — in 2018,” The Hill reported. “The survey found that while 58 percent of voters said they’re concerned that Trump may have business dealings with Moscow, 73 percent said they’re worried that the ongoing investigations are preventing Congress from tackling issues more vital to them.”
The co-director of the Harvard-Harris poll, Mark Penn, commented on the results: “While the voters have a keen interest in any Russian election interference, they are concerned that the investigations have become a distraction for the president and Congress that is hurting rather than helping the country.”
Such incoming data are sparking more outspoken dissent from House Democrats who want to get re-elected as well as depose Republicans from majority power. In short, if you don’t want a GOP speaker of the House, wise up to the politics at play across the country.
Vermont Congressman Peter Welch, a progressive Democrat, put it this way: “We should be focused relentlessly on economic improvement [and] we should stay away from just piling on the criticism of Trump, whether it’s about Russia, whether it’s about Comey. Because that has its own independent dynamic, it’s going to happen on its own without us piling on.”
Welch said, “We’re much better off if we just do the hard work of coming up with an agenda. Talking about Trump and Russia doesn’t create an agenda.”
Creating a compelling agenda would mean rejecting what has become the rote reflex of Democratic Party leadership — keep hammering Trump as a Kremlin tool. In a typical recent comment, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi pounded away at a talking point already so worn out that it has the appearance of a bent nail: “What do the Russians have on Donald Trump?”
In contrast, another House Democrat, Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania, said: “If you see me treating Russia and criticisms of the president and things like that as a secondary matter, it’s because that’s how my constituents feel about it.”
Betting on a Lame Horse
But ever since the election last November, Democratic congressional leaders have been placing the party’s bets heavily on the Russia horse. And it’s now pulling up lame.
A wintery scene in Moscow, near Red Square. (Photo by Robert Parry)
Yes, a truly independent investigation is needed to probe charges that the Russian government interfered with the U.S. election. And investigators should also dig to find out if there’s actual evidence that Trump or his campaign operatives engaged in nefarious activities before or after the election. At the same time, let’s get a grip. The partisan grandstanding on Capitol Hill, by leading Republicans and Democrats, hardly qualifies as “independent.”
In the top strata of the national Democratic Party, and especially for the Clinton wing of the party, blaming Russia has been of visceral importance. A recent book about Hillary Clinton’s latest presidential campaign — Shattered by journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes — includes a revealing passage. “Within 24 hours of her concession speech,” the authors report, campaign manager Robby Mook and campaign chair John Podesta “assembled her communications team at the Brooklyn headquarters to engineer the case that the election wasn’t entirely on the up-and-up.”
At that meeting, “they went over the script they would pitch to the press and the public. Already, Russian hacking was the centerpiece of the argument.”
In early spring, the former communications director of the 2016 Clinton presidential campaign, Jennifer Palmieri, summarized the post-election approach in a Washington Post opinion piece: “If we make plain that what Russia has done is nothing less than an attack on our republic, the public will be with us. And the more we talk about it, the more they’ll be with us.”
Polling data now indicate how wrong such claims are. Initially in lockstep this year, Democrats on Capitol Hill probably didn’t give it a second thought if they read my article published by The Hill nearly six months ago under the headline “Democrats Are Playing With Fire on Russia.” At the outset, I warned that “the most cohesive message from congressional Democrats is: blame Russia. The party leaders have doubled down on an approach that got nowhere during the presidential campaign — trying to tie the Kremlin around Donald Trump’s neck.”
And I added: “Still more interested in playing to the press gallery than speaking directly to the economic distress of voters in the Rust Belt and elsewhere who handed the presidency to Trump, top Democrats would much rather scapegoat Vladimir Putin than scrutinize how they’ve lost touch with working-class voters.”
Nuclear War Risks
But my main emphasis in that Jan. 9 article was that “the emerging incendiary rhetoric against Russia is extremely dangerous. It could lead to a military confrontation between two countries that each has thousands of nuclear weapons.”
Illustration by Chesley Bonestell of nuclear bombs detonating over New York City, entitled “Hiroshima U.S.A.” Colliers, Aug. 5, 1950.
I noted that “enthusiasm for banging the drum against Putin is fast becoming a big part of the Democratic Party’s public identity in 2017. And — insidiously — that’s apt to give the party a long-term political stake in further demonizing the Russian government.”
My article pointed out: “The reality is grim, and potentially catastrophic beyond comprehension. By pushing to further polarize with the Kremlin, congressional Democrats are increasing the chances of a military confrontation with Russia.”
Here’s a question worth pondering: How much time do members of Congress spend thinking about ways to reduce the risks of nuclear holocaust, compared to how much time they spend thinking about getting re-elected?
In political terms, The Hill’s June 24 news article headlined “Dems Push Leaders to Talk Less About Russia” should be a wakeup call. Held in the thrall of Russia-bashing incantations since early winter, some Democrats in Congress have started to realize that they must break the spell. But they will need help from constituents willing to bluntly tell them to snap out of it.
If there is to be a human future on this planet, it will require real diplomacy between the U.S. and Russia, the world’s two nuclear-weapons superpowers. Meanwhile — even if the nuclear threat from continuing to escalate hostility toward Russia doesn’t rank high on the list of Democrats’ concerns on Capitol Hill — maybe the prospects of failure in the elections next year will compel a major change. It’s time for the dangerous anti-Russia fever to break.
Norman Solomon is the coordinator of the online activist group RootsAction.org and the executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He is the author of a dozen books including War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.
As you well know, this is the least important aspect of this story.
Norman–how could you miss the obvious.? The Damn Dems are pushing Russia-gate BECAUSE they don’t have a problem-solving agenda. In order to get one, they’d have to turn to Bernie. And pissy missy Clinton would never do that. Not only because it would “embarrass” her arrogant Yuppie ass, but because it would lose her ALL of her corporate power backing. And she’d rather see the country go down in T- rumpian flames than lose power; pitiful as it is, it’s all she has left in this world.
Sorry, Sammy TT, but as Skip Scott says, there is no clear evidence. Did you follow this story from the start? There is no evidence, just allegations. And BTW, do you know about the CIA record of interference in elections and overthrowing governments for over a half-century? Don’t let TV pundits take over your brain.
I don’t really care about this as a “political” issue. But I don’t know why investigative journalists who claim to care about rule of law and our democracy can turn a blind eye to clear evidence — virtually admitted by Putin himself — that Russia was involved in hacking DNC and voter registration systems, etc. How can you call yourself a journalist if all you do is say 1) No conclusive evidence (maybe try tracking down the leads on this story) or 2) Don’t worry about this issue because it doesn’t help Democrats win elections? What kind of integrity is that? It seems to me the only point of this op-ed is to continue to pile on against Democrats.
Either way, there is no doubt at all that the Russia investigation is harming the Trump presidency. Let me reiterate — I don’t care about this issue as a political issue — but you can’t deny that Trump’s numbers have tanked since this investigation came into full swing. Gallup has him right now below 40%, where it has been for a long time and Russia is a MAJOR political weight on Trump’s shoulders. For Christ’s sake, if this wasn’t a yoke on Trump, he never would have fired Comey.
Sammy TT-
What clear evidence? Please present it as we are all waiting for it. When did Putin “virtually” admit it? And of course there is a big difference between hacking (which every country that is capable of it does), and being the source to Wikileaks, which Assange, Craig Murray, Putin, and NSA code writer William Binny all dispute. You might also want to look into Seth Rich’s murder as a competing theory. And if you are worried about foreign interference in US politics and elections, I suggest you start with Israel. You won’t have to make any shit up out of thin air to prove that interference.
The weight on Trump’s shoulders is a purposeful attack by the Deep State and their MSM lackeys to keep him from implementing any of his foreign policy proposals.
The first concern of senior Democrats was not the voters, it was the major donors. The donors were furious that their billion dollars was wasted, and openly refused to contribute more to the same people doing the same things. Yet the same people wanted to keep doing the same things. Hence, blame someone else, spin up emotion against an Other that gives cover to the disaster Democratic leaders brought on to themselves.
The Russia thing was first of all about donors, not voters. It served that purpose. Donors calmed down, and donations are flowing again. Now they’ve got the money fixed, people who lost can think a bit about the voters who rejected them.
I find the following video about a discussion between Sam Seder (who defends the corporate Democrat narrative with the conspiracy theory about Russia) and Tim Black very interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og9vVCJN0jo
Sam Seder seems to concede that there is hardly any evidence for the Russiagate allegation. But he argues that it could still make sense to use these baseless allegations in order to weaken the Republicans, which could then make it more difficult for them to pass legislation about healthcare than can harm many people. Sam Seder tries to use a kind of utilitarian argument in favor of lying – his main goal is preventing that health coverage is taken away from many Americans, and in order to prevent this, anything seems to be justified in his view.
While I agree that Republican plans about healthcare are inhuman, I find it extremely reckless and despicable when people are ready to increase international tensions over an issue that has little merit, as they know, just for reaching goals in interior politics. The deterioration of international relationships could have very grave consequences and could make it much more difficult to react to crises in areas like Syria.
There is a good chance to defeat the Republican plans for health care with arguments that are directed against it directly – after all, many Republican voters would be affected, and some Republican members of Congress therefore do not support them. I would go further and say that Democrats who still push this RussiaGate topic, even though there is still no concrete evidence whatsoevere, risk making the Democratic party so irrelevant that the opposition against Republican policies within institutional politics will be much weaker.
The patchwork for-profit health care system we are forced to endure is going to collapse no matter what,
the ACA just kept it on (extremely expensive and getting more so) life support. It did no favors to middle
class folks who are small business people or otherwise self-employed. The lowest available premium
for the cheapest Bronze plan to cover two healthy individuals in their early sixties priced out for us at
$39,000 for 2017. Plus a $13,500 deductible. We decided to pass. That works out to over half our income.
The only possible way to regulate out-of-control medical costs is single payer for all. Along with that, there
is an urgent need for more mid-level practitioners (NP’s and PA’s) and an equally urgent need for reduced
medical training expenses. While in medical school, my daughter reported that several of her female class-
mates had resorted to selling (i.e. ‘donating for compensation) their eggs in order to help pay their tuition.
This was at a highly acclaimed Jesuit medical school. That’s just sad.
But Sam Seder is irrelevant and has been since he got “acceptable” to MsNBC. Like Howard Dean, the Clinton-Tard. Or is it turd? Actually no– that would be Rachel. The shit rose to her neck during the campaign and she happily dove in.
Unfortunately, you’re expecting logic and sense from people who nominated *Hillary Clinton* for the presidency. They’re not exactly thinking human beings.
”If there is to be a human future on this planet, it will require real diplomacy between the U.S. and Russia … ”
That pretty much sums up the geopolitical situation we face: the rest is BS and hot-air. Unless diplomacy is made fashionable once more we are on course for extinction. Unfortunately, there are deranged people in positions of power who really don’t know that they are playing with fire. They live in a propaganda bubble where the hive-mind is impenetrable to facts, logic or reason. If they prevail, well, that’s it folks; nice talking to ya! A Manichean struggle between chaos and order. It’s going to be a close call.
Trump’s latest tweets about Obama ignoring warnings about Russian meddling in August 2016, however, do nothing but add to the insanity, considering that story looks fabricated, too. But seems the whole Beltway is off their rocker. These 3 reporters resigning from CNN over Russia/Scaramucci connection also shows how unglued the whole thing is becoming. The CNN reporter Thomas Frank who resigned is not the Thomas Frank author of “What’s the Matter with Kansas?”. No business done for the people, just madness of bureaucrat politicians.
That would be great, Ariel Ky, but with the moral fiber of the USA having gotten so soft, it looks unlikely. I was looking up the Church Committee, and it investigated all the security agencies, including CIA and especially assassinations (except JFK’s), but the aftermath was very shortlived in weeding out the nefarious activities we see now. Probably wouldn’t happen with today’s corruption, which encompasses both political parties. One difference, however, was that the press did its job then (in 1975) and did not report as instruments of government, and that’s before consolidation of ownership and control by the FCC.
Jessica– the lack of moral fiber is a yuppie thing, and the artisianal greed era is over. Look to the young. The Twenty somethings. They have morals, ethics, values, outrage and commitment. Anybody who disparages their ethos misses every true thing that’s happening in the world right now.
Here’s an idea. Why not have a television show with debates on issues? After the debate, the audience then assesses the debaters on their diplomatic skills. We could all learn something from watching such a show, on how to extend courtesy, respect, consideration, and good manners while disagreeing with someone.
We have a 2 party system that precludes any kind of progressive idealism or altruism. Charismatic people will not run for political office now-a-days. Those days of Noblesse Oblige are long gone. They went out with learning Latin in High School. 50 years ago. Back then honorable men often chose a career in the legal profession, imagine it. Given the structure of our politics, the Seniority System has checks and balances in place that limit activism by newly elected members., and the DNC and RNC bestowing campaign allowances, there’s Grover Norquist Pledge, the litmus test on Israel in the Democratic party, etc. Only a crook or an idiot who wants to sell out his constituents by lying to them and misrepresenting him or herself would run fior office. Why not wish for cake and ice cream for everybody. The fact is that our political system elects the worst possible people to represent us. It is more likiely that we face a dystopian future than a Golden Age in this nation. But certainly I believe that you should go ahead and try to do good anyway. . Run for political office and I hope you succeed and change things for the better but nobody has yet.
Here’s a compelling agenda for Democrats: revitalize the party by electing candidates who have the ability to compromise and act for the good of all by drawing down our military and drawing down carbon emissions… actively creating industries and building communities that enable us to exercise responsible stewardship of the land and seas. Elect charismatic leaders capable of unifying Americans, befriending those in other countries and carrying out win-win business negotiations with them, as well as creating a global energy grid that ensures all people in the world have the energy that they require to lead good lives. Activate Americans to become more responsible citizens, and encourage public service as a career among young people. Strategize and carry out budget allocations for everyone to eat and exercise in a healthy lifestyle. Create transitional systems to replace unjust, unfair, and exploitive institutions and social systems, including experimenting with a better economic system.
Well, yes, Curious, I agree with you that the issue is Americans believe this balderdash about the CIA, but to me, being an idealist, that shows me how uncourageous the American people have become, cowed into lives of consumerism and almost nothing more. I do think that worldwide things are stirring, people everywhere are sick of endless war, killing innocent people, ruining our once beautiful planet. People in Greece the other day protested NATO, with a big banner “NATO Killers Go Home”, the CIA is conducting an operation to bring down Duterte in the Philippines which I hope Consortium News will cover, and so many things are happening worldwide that I think time is ripe for movements to get this bloody government and military to answer to the people. We cannot allow them to do their immoral deeds in our name! Also the economic situation worldwide is changing, countries are dumping the dollar or starting to try because they see through the US insanity and warmongering. The US is in for economic collapse very soon with $20tn debt. Other countries’ leaders see that.
And one other thing about Trump doing business with Russia, it’s a world dominated by capitalism now! Russia is a state capitalist system, even China with its communist undertones, so what’s the big deal about countries or individuals doing business? I feel that capitalism is a big problem, as others here have noted, but why single out business in Russia? It’s ridiculous, just western imperialists trying to stir up a hornet’s nest. And the argument about Mafia, Russian specifically, puleez, organized crime exists everywhere. Putin and the Russian Duma are at the historical juncture the Kennedy brothers were in the US when they were going after organized crime leadership in the US more than a half-century ago. What’s happening now is that politicians and pundits are using the American people’s ignorance of their history to create a new historical tension at this opportune moment.
It was always extremely doubtful that the Dems and their minions at the NY Times and Washington Post could sustain the anti Russian hysteria until the next election. Obviously they were banking on winning at least a couple of the Special elections certainly the one they dumped $36 million into. When they did not Pelosi’s head landed on the chopping block and Obama became a scapegoat overnight. I notice that Pelosi’s attack dog Eric Slawell hasn’t been in the news since the big Congressional softball game and now Sen. Schumer promises a big and believable winning policy shift focusing on the economy. It really is pathetic but the kids partying up at the Rainbow Parade in San Francisco this weekend didn’t even notice, they still hate Trump and Teflon Hillary didn’t get any dirt on her at all for some reason. We aren’t done with her yet but notice even Feinstein got on board on the Lynch investigation and if Lynch is guilty of something how could Hillary and Bill and for that matter Comey not be. Reads like a 10 cent novel. These folks really aren’t that smart but who is these days?
I hope the Clinton stew is starting to go bad and smell foul. What a sick joke, when it’s the CIA as meddler supreme, murderer also, for decades even, that should be investigated, as was done by the Church Committee in 1975 with the FBI because of the COINTELPRO stings of the Black Panthers, AIM, and other groups that were trying to effect change in a massively corrupt time. The CIA never truly got investigated, that went down with JFK’s death. The CIA has meddled regularly in Russia’s elections, and the Russians have been too forbearing. I don’t believe one word of the Russia meddling in this election, it is cooked up, as discussed here, by the Clinton campaign and its mediocre operatives. If the American people only knew what their CIA has done and continues to do! It is the most nefarious organization in the world.
Jessica, I agree on the CIA issue, but most people think they are protecting America and so their deeds are necessary, which is a total shame. Dark money, combined with a charter they still won’t release to the public, or even Congress which has asked to see it, is a poisonous brew.
Also, this Putin bashing about being in the KBG is proof again that many in the US are just plain ignorant. Putin was a middle manager desk worker snooping on West Germany from Dresden for many a year, while our first Bush president was the HEAD of the CIA. Do you think there is a difference? I do.
That is KGB rather
Bush was up to his neck in “nefariousness”.
I am so totally fed up with BOTH parties that I refuse to vote for either one (and did not in the 2016 election). Because both parties are bribed by the big corporations, that is who they serve — certainly not the people! The Russia fairy tale was manufactured by the DNC when it became evident that their cheating and fraud was about to be exposed to the public. The DNC, Hillary’s campaign, and the media colluded to cheat Sanders out of his rightful nomination – he did actually win the nomination. And there is tons of evidence proving it, esp. the emails that WikiLeaks exposed from Donna Brazille, Hillary Clinton, John Podesta, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and the rest of that corrupt bunch. However, there is NO evidence of the Russian lie — not one shred! Until the parties begin working for the people, instead of the corporations, I’m finished with supporting ANY party or politician. I don’t have any hopes that things will change either.
Bonnie-
I’m as fed up as you are, but I think Sanders has to take some of the blame for giving up the fight. The cheating by the DNC was exposed before the convention. He should have gave them the ultimatum of giving him the nomination or watching him take his supporters over to the Green Party. Then he would have had the 15 percent for the TV debates, blown up the 2 party system, and been President today. When he caved to the Hillary machine, I realized he wasn’t the man I thought he was. I’m hoping that Tulsi Gabbard has more integrity and will carry the torch in 2020. I think she’ll have to leave the Democrats for a third party to do it.
Skip, I agree. I couldn’t believe the way Sanders folded. And now he, Schumer and Warren all sound too shrill for me to listen to them, hating and condemning Trump as they do. Keeping my fingers crossed for Tulsi Gabbard –a truly sane Representative.
I also agree with many comments above We need both the people to stand up (why aren’t Trump supporters speaking up?), and we need a new political system. A Constitutional convention? Any thoughts?
I wish I had an answer. The powers that be probably won’t allow a constitutional convention. If they did, it would probably be for all the wrong issues. I think first we need an insurrection, the election of a third party candidate who has the guts and the smarts to use the bully pulpit to talk directly to the American people and get them riled up. If Tulsi’s the one for the job, I’ll be behind her. Inside two years, she could get the corrupted congress to change their tune, or a lot of them up for election would be voted out. It’d take eight years to really clean house, but I think that’s the only non-violent hope we have.
The Democrats during the last six months have done what they set out to do: cripple Trump and prevent him from implementing his domestic policies. How dare he stop the TPP! How dare he place a five-year moratorium on lobbying by former politicians! How dare he want detente with Russia! How dare he want to stop the wars! How dare he want to stop illegal immigration!
They set out to destroy Trump, but so far there’s no evidence and they’re starting to sweat. What are they going to tell everybody when they don’t find anything? How dare Trump make us look like idiots!
Complete insanity when one side gets to say, “Oh, look over there” and take the country off on some McCarthy witch hunt when their corruption is sitting in plain view, but ignored. A pathetic diversionary tactic.
If they’re going to go after Trump, why not start looking under Lindsay Graham and Chuckie Schumer’s hood. Of course, the Clinton’s are dripping in filthy dirt and are just one subpoena away from an 8 x 10 room at the San Quentin Waldorf. Start looking at them all. Where are they getting their money? Whose stocks do they own? Make a clean sweep.
backwordsevolution: I completely agree. They should be investigating Obama, Lynch, and Clintons – not Trump. If there was anything serious in Trump and Russia connection, I am sure they would have exposed it before election. What happened after election, these phone calls with the Russian ambassador are normal for the incoming administration.
It’s easy to fall into a trance that feels everything will just go on in the Middle East as it has, with a blip here and there. Until that is SHATTERED by war breaking out between the US and Russia. These sudden shifts always come as a big surprise to the entranced players. They always react with, “How did that happen!!” As if all their little stupidities were in no way responsible. By then nobody gives a shit why it happened, because the CRISIS is upon us all….
There will never be any solution forthcoming from the current US political system. No new laws, candidates, parties will avail in any way whatever to really deal with our critical problems. The change needed will have to occur within the people that make up this nation, or it will not – in which case we are cooked, done, finished.
mike k – “The change needed will have to occur within the people that make up this nation, or it will not – in which case we are cooked, done, finished.”
The people tried when they voted for Trump. He did represent a lot of the changes people wanted to see, and I truly believe he would have implemented serious changes if he could have. But he’s been hogtied by the Democrats AND his own Republican party. Both parties are beholden to big money interests and they’re not going to allow this outsider to come in and start making changes.
If it swings back to the insiders again and there are more wars, more jobs offshored, more inequality, more progressive/Social Justice Warrior policies brought in, the country is going to come apart at the seams. So far the Trump supporters have been civil, but if they are pushed much more, look out!
backwardsevolution: You have excellent insight into what has gone wrong with this country. I agree with all you have said. The Ruling Establishment have completely stopped Trump from doing what he promised during his campaign. Immigration issue, and his promise to get along with Russia and non-interventionist foreign policy – stopping the Middle East Wars. All three issues are very important issues and were on the top of his agenda. All three issues are dead.
You’re right–people voted for Trump because they’re fed up and want change. They voted for Obama for the same reason. It’s obvious now that voting never results in the changes that would benefit the majority in this country. The president is a figurehead manipulated by the real rulers. Trump is not cooperating as well as he is expected to and is throwing a wrench into the works. Will the people finally recognize what a farce our “democracy” is?
Stay tuned.
Can you imagine a world without Russia bashing! A consummation devoutly to be wished. But notice as the Democrats say they are pulling back, they also add that the investigations will continue and in time everything will come out. They are not ready to admit there’s no there there.
As far as the demise of the two parties, I’d like to see a whole new scheme of things. More parties. Fairer primaries. More inclusiveness in debates. Fairer news coverage of candidates. And I believe a third party candidate could win, even Bernie last time if he’d run as an independent. Remember Ross Perot? Remember how liked he was, how high in the polls, but there was a threat to his daughter’s wedding that caused him to pull out of the race; then later he got back in. He did well despite all that — was it 23% of the vote? The rules for debating work against third party candidates and need to be changed. The big scandal of the recent elections should be how corrupt the the DNC is, how primaries of both parties are rigged, how our election results are not truly democratically derived.
I’m not holding my breath waiting for the Democrats to get off the blame Russia bandwagon. The last thing that the Democrats will do is go against their doners. They’d rather loose elections than do that. But that’s what any meaningful domestic agenda would mean.
Everybody looks for complex and esoteric explanations and well as elegant solutions to the problems. It’s a pretty well documented fact that the heist conducted in Ukraine was all about removing Russia from Europe’s energy equation and putting US energy interests in position to profit. US energy company campaign donations (bribes) to both sides get these lackeys elected. Their personal investment portfolios benefit accordingly, as they are not subject to what might otherwise be considered “insider trading”. As far as “hacking” elections is concerned, there is a simple solution: paper ballots. Both parties take bribes from the tech sector to keep these systems in place, and both sides employ their own “hackers” to insure that appropriate election results occur in critical districts.
I didn’t vote for Hillary or Donald. But as an FDR Democrat, I really thought about voting for Donald, just to “stick it” to the democrats. Third Party candidates can’t win because they generally can’t get on the ballots. So, keep in mind that when one does get on the ballot, there’s a machine behind them too, and that machine didn’t choose them for altruism. Sorry, but Jill Stein and Gary Johnson were both mediocre candidates. Bernie was only in the race to make it look like Hillary “won” a legitimate primary. Otherwise, he would NOT have gotten tired of hearing about her “damned emails”. With paper ballots and the possibility to “write in” anybody, merit based candidates in this era of social media and the internet would quickly render the Lindsey Grahams and Nancy Pelosis obsolete, especially if people paid more attention to their financial assets and investment portfolios.
The best reason to keep the “Russia-gate” scandal going is to keep all eyes off the other scandals. I’m not a tax lawyer or investment counselor, and I’m pretty suspicious of right-wing do-gooders. So, I can’t render an expert opinion on Charles Ortel. But, the guy seems to be on the level. If he is, the Clinton Cartel is the biggest unprosecuted RICO scam in world history. That’s a big incentive for BOTH PARTIES to keep the Russians in the news. For every democrat scam, there’s a republican scam just as big. The last thing they want is criminal prosecutions to become fashionable.
Speaking of Hillary, I’m pretty sure nobody among the general public understands what would be involved in removing “special access” material from dedicated information systems and transferring it to a private server. The only comparable crime I can think of is the Rosenbergs’ transferring atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. Not quite as bad as Jonathan Pollard, but close.
Criminal prosecution is the simplest remedy for the problems in our democracy, but that remedy has been nullified. Our criminal political class is immune to legal jeopardy. Only the “whistle blowers” are prosecuted.
As always, thank you F.G. Sanford.
Sanford – was just watching a video on Charles Ortel. He said he did well in school, got into banking, retired at 46, and has always liked to solve complex problems. Someone mentioned to him something about the Clinton Foundation, that it sounded good on paper, so he decided in March of 2016 to take a look at it and was shocked at what he found.
He said it is the people who don’t have money who give the most to charity, and they trust people like the Clinton’s and their trustees to actually be honest.
“The truth is that this Foundation has been cooking the books since the first day it opened its doors on October 23, 1997 when Bill was still President of the United States, when he was fighting all these scandals, when they needed to raise money…..they needed another scheme, and this is what the Clinton Foundation started out as being. […] This charity has never been authorized to be anything other than a presidential library, archive and research facility in Little Rock. That’s it. All these other fancy things that attract money – fighting HIV/AIDS, climate change, all that international work – none of that is authorized properly. So it is a crooked charity cooking the books.
Here you have, in what we know about the Clinton’s – and we know a lot more about the Clinton’s and the administration thanks to all the WikiLeaks and everything else – it seems we have here first of all a bunch of incompetent, self-centered, profit-seeking people who are dedicated to living champagne and caviar lifestyles, and private jets and presidential suites, but not because they’ve invented a better product or found a better way to serve in a competitive market. No, they’re playing an inside game, they’re trading off favors, they’re taking money, there’s no accountability, and it’s one big party, as far as I can tell.”
The Clinton’s get out in front of various earthquakes and disasters and basically steal from the poor to aid the rich (their rich donor friends).
Ortel sounds like a credible person to me.
Here’s the video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWmiZ-uWcfM
We would be “with” the Democrats on Russia if there was any truth (i.e. proof) to these allegations, but there isn’t any and so “we” act accordingly.
I had to laugh yesterday during the Sunday TV Pundit yammer: Chuck Schumer’s mouth just could not form the word working, as in working class. It kept coming out as middle. The middle class he is talking about are the comfortably numb and insulated enough that hey can tell themselves how fortunate they are.
Even after going to a Yankees game and sitting next to a guy in a ‘Proud to be a Deplorable’, Schumer still doesn’t get it.
Ah, that’s Proud to be a Deplorable Tee shirt
Great article. It’s sad to see how the party of Peace and Love and No More War has become the party of rabid, red-baiting McCarthyites. It should be transparent to all who pay attention that the ‘Russians Did It’ meme is simply a poor substitute for Democrats in place of digging deep into the real causes of their devastating loss. And beyond sad, it is dangerous, as the author stated. We need to work on diplomacy with Russia and all other countries, as opposed to the hysterical ‘Red Menace’ narrative being pushed by politicians and a complicit media.
I don’t think the Russia-gate caper was just a smoke screen to allow the Democrats to avoid self-examination for their failures. There is definite grand-strategic, geopolitical purpose to driving the wedge of enmity between us and Russia. It starts in the intelligence community, and whom they serve. As a body they are not rogue (although there are always rogue players, double agents, etc…). Up until the end of WWII, what secret intelligence operatives we’ve had, had by-and-large, served the Presidency. What I’ve gathered from 10 or 15 years of reading Executive Intelligence Review, is that, as a body, our intelligence community had been “captured” by the opposition. The opposition?; a centuries-old oligarchical community of Crown-Chartered trading/exploring/colonizing Companies such as the Anglo-Dutch East India Companies and affiliated Companies (Royal Africa Company, Hudson’s Bay Company, and others). These Companies, and the financiers behind them, all in service to one Crown or another, have ALWAYS had a vast network of intelligence operatives, based on the Venice model, where your secret services in the direct employ of your Houses of finance, who are in service to The Crown, (or the Doge in the case of Venice), are even more important than your military services or the religious propagandists in your employ. THEY have existed in force for perhaps a thousand years or more. THEY are the ancient institution, compared to which the concept of a National Intelligence Service is quite new. Well, FDR’s O.S.S. loyalists were run outta town by the Wall Street financial Houses, in league with City-of-London’s MI6 guys and the rat-liners bringing in NAZI/Fascist assets from Europe, so now our intelligence community is in service to the wealthy and powerful American Tories who never renounced Empire, but embrace it and work for it, in service to those private Central Banks (look up “Alpha Group”) tied to Dynastic Royal Families in Britain and Europe; and we are now made to do unwitting work for this ancient oligarchy. The gravest threat to this arrangement is for the combined power of USA, Russia and China to come together to challenge and displace this ancient oligarchical arrangement with a New Deal-type arrangement of development and improvement of conditions of life for ALL people everywhere. This is what China’s Belt & Road win-win policies brings before the World, knowing what this means and intends. Russia is already on board. I read on EIR that Trump has agreed with Xi to come on board the B&R plan, details to be hammered out later. This sounds the death knell for the ancient oligarchy in Britain and Europe. Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.
Brad Owen, I agree with your commentary in its entirety and add this link to an OffGuardian essay that I thought was comprehensive, beautifully illustrated and well footnoted. Thanks.
https://off-guardian.org/2017/06/25/on-the-nature-of-the-us-and-american-foreign-policy/
Brad, I agree with you that big money is behind the crimes. But I think the big banks replaced the dynastic royal families as the power center. The royal families went broke fighting senseless wars, borrowing big from the bankers to do so. The Queen of England no longer owns the entirety of England as was the case in the 1500’s. The other major European “royal” families were deposed. The bankers launched their effort to depose the “royal” families in the 1700’s. A main reason England “slept” while Germany re-armed after WWI was the British didn’t want to borrow the enormous sums necessary. They assumed Germany’s extensive re-arming would stop when its credit collapsed. But Germany’s credit didn’t collapse (who benefited?), and the British had to borrow big. This is in Why England Slept by John F. Kennedy.
Who benefits from massive borrowing? Big banks. Big banks have been making money off both sides in wars for several centuries. I agree on Wall Street and London financiers. I would add the Israelis as a key player. If you’ll notice, America’s MSM never says or discusses anything critical about Israel despite its half century of ongoing, blatant crimes and atrocities. Clearly they control the MSM. And they’re at the center of the so-called “War on Terror”.
“War Profiteers and the Roots of the War on Terror”
http://warprofiteerstory.blogspot.com
I agree the banks (see Inter-Alpha Group on EIRs search box) are the teeth and claws of the royal lion, but it serves them to be in service to the Crowns of Britain and Europe (see Return of the Monarchs in EIRs search box). These 25 Dynastic families command much wealth in their own right, so they made sure they,have “earned their chair” at the poker table. The Northern Tier of Dynasts still pretty much sit on thrones, the Southern Tier do not ( except for King Juan Carlos of Spain), but they still command vast family funds (the Fondi as it was called in Mediaval times). What they command is an IDEAL for the monarchical system of structuring society. Their idea is named Synarchism, the harmonious operation of human society under the leadership of the Crown and its vast network oligarchical Nobles. The Crown- wearers themselves are of little consequence(Queen Elisabeth II for example) but DONOT overlook tho their members of the Royal extended families (the Prince Consort for example, his cousins, Dukes and such. He and his buddy Prince Bernhardt of Netherlands, a former SS officer, set up World Wildlife Fund as ecological cover for their Eugenics ideas. Prince Bernhardt set up the Bilderberger group so their schemes could be discussed in secret). They are NOT innocent nor harmless. They are the leadership for this gigantic operation and have been at war with America for our “sin” of 1776. I, a descendent of Puritans and over here since 1640, look to finish the business started in 1648 ( see in EIRs search box Synarchy against America…and really check out Return of the Monarchs).
Also type in EIRs search box: “Fact sheet; the enemy is oligarchism”.
Brad, I took a look at the paper you referenced. What I see is an elaborated theory. But I don’t see any compelling evidence that the big bankers today have any interest in being “in service” to any crowns. To the contrary, they financed the Russian revolution, killing the royal family.
As for Synarchism, the history of royal families is not one of harmony, but one of gang warfare, between countries and within countries, between families and within families. Any political faction that wanted to take power needed to have its own heir to the throne, and kill the rival heirs. Cleopatra had to kill her brother to survive, Elizabeth I had to kill her cousin to survive. Elizabeth I lived under constant threats of assassination by the kings of Spain, France, and the Pope.
I watched a video of a Lyndon LaRouche talk recently, and was impressed by how he began with fundamental geographic factors in the early conflicts of humanity. But when he got to current events, it seemed to me he was making a lot of assertions without evidence, some that I disagreed with. During the Q&A a couple of questioners raised some of these questions. They were clearly very sympathetic questioners, and professional researchers. LaRouche responded with emotional insults, but no evidence. I concluded that the discernment he may once have had was now gone.
But I completely agree that Deep Throat’s advice to “follow the money” is still THE key, to whomever it leads.
It’s like the Mafia. They’ll feud with one another for top-dog status, but will close ranks when the Feds threaten their system. The British Empire has always been in threat-mode against the Czars as “the big one that got away”. That’s why Russia has always been our ally since Catherine the Great, as “the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and the enemy of my friend is my enemy.” The British Crown have since gained somewhat of an alliance with some of the surviving members of the Romanov Dynasty, as per the article. The British Crown stands first among equals. The sorting out of top-dog status has been completed and unity prevails among the Synarchists so long as they still have to put down republican movements among the Commoners, which their agents have steadily worked to undermine, as a threat to their “Natural Order”. Should they prevail, then they probably will fall back into feuding, which is almost the sport of Kings.
I’ve seen many Larouche talks, never noticed the behavior you saw, although he is in his mid-nineties now and is probably slowing down some. Giving a free pass to the Crowns and Synarchy Internationale is what enables them to get as far as they do. The evidence you crave is exactly what is hidden, You have to rely on a detective’s gut instinct to ferret out the perps and who benefits and how the failed “reality on the ground” fits the theory. Sufficient economic immiseration(austerities,Thatcher’s TINA) and chaos of wars and terrorism, refugees, induced failed states and failed economies is preparation for a return of the Monarchs and their harmonious natural order. that is the theory of their Game Plan.
To believe or not believe almost doesn’t matter now, as China’s B&R win-win policies will render it dead, null and void in any case. Its’ time on the World Stage of History is almost over now. Perhaps it is better to not look back, like that dude in the Bible story about not looking back at the fire & brimstone raining down on the city, or you will turn into a pillar of salt (preserved in the past?).
Oh, yeah? Do the Democrats really think they can just casually “pivot” away from the Russia bashing and no one will notice the disconnect with all the bullshit they have been shoveling for the past year? Actually, rather longer, going back to Obomber’s trash talking Russia at every turn after his minions fomented the provocative coup d’etat in the Ukraine. Those damned fools have created one dangerous hell of a mess, and the only reason this planet still harbors life on its surface is that Vladimir Putin knew how to turn the other cheek and convince his citizens to appreciate diplomatic efforts rather than the warmongering and saber rattling favored by all the American maniacs, whom he still honors with the title of “partners.” I would never want to “partner” with such criminals, but Putin never stops trying for the sake of the world, even for those crazed Americans who would end it all just to show… Just to show who what? The world that they are insane?
Sorry, Democrats, you do not receive absolution so easily. Firstly, I don’t believe you mean what you say. It’s going to take a lot to prove to me that you have become rational and peaceable once again. But, even if you have truly had an epiphany, you will still need to be punished for needlessly taking the world to the brink of extinction. The voters will have to learn a lesson as well. Let the Republicans muck up the economy and social structure for a couple of election cycles, and maybe then I will believe that the Democrats and their supporters have learned the proper lessons from this fiasco. There have been a LOT of mistakes made, so there is an awful lot that must be learned from them before we can move forward. And don’t try lying to us again about this shit, because we will know from the wreckage you leave in your wake. Why do you think your have lost all the state houses and assemblies? The White House and the Congress are only the most visible parts of the problem you have created.
Yes, if they do it now they can. It will fade from peoples minds once they convince their pet journalists to lay off. It would be better if they got new leadership but that won’t happen.
Leslie F – it’s not going to fade from people’s minds, not until the Clinton’s are investigated. People aren’t going to forget what they did, especially when everybody is starting to laugh at them over their finding NO evidence re Russia. Why aren’t they appointing a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton giving Russia 20% of U.S. uranium? How about Bill Clinton speaking in Russia and actually getting paid for it?
Democrats:
on Trump – witch hunt
on Hillary – look the other way
Yeah, that’s a party you can get behind!
Exactly. Well said. Dems have already lost 2018 and probably 2020 because they went down this rabbit hole of total, complete, utter disconnect and dissemblance. Not only do they have to change tack, but as you said, they have to earn back trust/suspension of disbelief to even have a CHANCE of coming back. This Russia!!! thing is SO far off the mark that that is a years-long process, if not a decade or more – if ever.
The “if ever” caveat may be the organic beginnings/primordial ooze of the next viable party that most everyone wants if a leader can emerge with a concept and voice and courage and dynamicism to unite the currently disenfranchised on both right and left as one bloc. I think it can be done.
Realist: Excellent. Some person in comments suggested a few days ago that we we should be calling them DemonCrats.
June 22, 2017 Corrupt US Senate Pushes America Toward War With Russia And Europe
“The sleazy hypocrisy of US legislators is legendary, but it is their ignorance, greed and arrogance that are worrying.”
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/06/21/ever-closer-war.html
I agree with this article except :
Yes, a truly independent investigation is needed to probe charges that the Russian government interfered with the U.S. election. And investigators should also dig to find out if there’s actual evidence that Trump or his campaign operatives engaged in nefarious activities before or after the election. At the same time, let’s get a grip. The partisan grandstanding on Capitol Hill, by leading Republicans and Democrats, hardly qualifies as “independent.”
I see this Russia witch hunt as a complete and utter distraction. If you’re going to do an independent investigation, how about one that focuses on ALL foreign influence, including Israel; and not just on Trump, but on all the candidates, and the Congress as well. Also, per the vault7 releases, any evidence that comes from the intelligence agencies is suspect. So what other kind of evidence could they get, and where would they get it from?
Yes, especially Israel and Saudi Arabia who has lured him further into the debacle in Yemen and apparently inspired the recent flap with Qatar. Then there is China, who he appartly owns a whole pile of money. And I would really like to find out what kind of shady dealings are involved in his domestic businesses. It might not trigger the emoluments clause, but still could involve bribery or other crimes.
Leslie F – you appear to be on board with having the crap investigated out of Trump, but do you agree with what Skip Scott was actually saying: that ALL politicians ought to be looked at, including the Clinton’s and their Clinton Foundation?
Why just Trump, Leslie? Maybe I’m not understanding you correctly.
Right Skip….the charges have been probed and warrant no further time of day. But influences that have real meat attached to the bones of government bear scrutiny. Well, we do that here…but as you infer, any “investigation” coming out of the swamp is likely to be all wet.
Mr. Solomon poses a question: “How much time do members of Congress spend thinking about ways to reduce the risks of nuclear holocaust, compared to how much time they spend thinking about getting re-elected?”
I guess if one member of Congress spent a second thinking about reducing risks of nuclear holocaust, we could come up with a ratio.
Skip: Good points. As a suggestion, I think that U.S. interference in Russia from 1991 thru 2000 should also be added in this independent investigation, including 1996 Russian Election, all the dirty things U.S. did to insure Yeltsin is the winner.
Regarding Trump’s business dealings, there may be shady things. But people kind of knew it, and still they elected him. Do we really think that Wall Street Oligarchy is honest? Were the culprits for 2008 crash investigated? There are not many honest businessmen out there in the country, especially in the World of Developers, Finance, and Wall Street.
Also, I think that there is no need for any further investigations. The country must move on with it’s business. Trump had promised quite a few good things during his campaign. He should be held accountable, if he backtracks on his promises. He should be given a chance at least to fulfill his promises. What he has gone through since last November is unbelievable.
Most of the Democrats in Congress are beyond redemption. They are sycophants – lackeys of Wall Street and AIPAC. Democratic party needs new leaders who will take care of the working people, not Wall Street.
Same thought. Solomon seems to have heard this so much, he gives it some credence. It deserves none. It is utter rubbish from beginning to end. When something makes no sense, and there is no evidence for it, I think it is logical to consider it false.
democrats are lost. republicans are too. but at least the republicans started to wake up a bit after W.
democrats are now for the new moneyed class. and for big business while proclaiming to be for the “little guy”.
how can democrats pretend to be anti war when they consistently back millitary actions and spending(can anyone say…for most of the 20th century)?
how can they pretend to fight for the working class when they are for unchecked legal/illegal immigration that forces everyone, immigrants too, to fight for the few jobs that are available in this unrelenting bad economy? these immigration policies also drive down real wages for the working class. i know. i’m one of them….
how can the democrats pretend to be pro-union when they constatnly vote for trade deals that send jobs out of the country? the middle class which used to be the beneficiary of unionized factory jobs has seen most of them disappear. unless they are in the defense industry. seems like the only unionized jobs anymore are for civil service sector where they hammer the taxpayer to death to overpay their salaries to the detriment of the average person making much less.
their pandering to the poor is sickening. there is a difference between proving needed services and buying votes with promises of free goodies.
how can any of this change unless different politicians are elected?
It’s more than just needing new politicians. We need to take on the oligarchy that has utterly corrupted both parties. If we are going to succeed with systemic change, I think we need a new party with new faces, that speak to the real issues that America cares about, and then does more than pay lip service after they’re elected. It’s either that or a pitchfork revolution right around the corner.
cmack – excellent points. None of these people are FOR the average American. What they are FOR is their own pocketbooks. It’s disgusting. And the Democrats have been one big fat sell-out to corporate interests.
All of these bums need to be thrown out on the sidewalk, with laws to prevent them from lobbying. “There, go find a real job!”
Throw them all out.
Cmack, Respectfully….it is the global capitalists and all of our worker bashing trade deals that have driven wages down not the rank and file public sector workers and not immigrants.
The line that public sector employees are overpayed with bloated benefits is a tired Republican propaganda message designed to misdirect the anger of private sector out-of-work workers to their civil servant peers. The truth is that more and more of the public sector is being privatized all the time, while pay and benefits is becoming stagnant (while still relatively decent). The AFGE cannot hardly slow down the corporatizing of our public institutions.
Here is the latest on the VA: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2017/06/24/Trump-signs-law-making-it-easier-to-for-government-to-fire-VA-employees/stories/201706240035
Point is if you are outraged that public employees have it so good, don’t worry our public institutions will have nothing left once the Trump regime gets done with it. Although I don’t think that will bring private sector jobs back home or increase pay for private sector employees…except for maybe some CEOs who get the public funds for contracts. However, it should be noted that this has been happening for decades prior to Trump (although I would argue the shift is on steroids now).
I also think immigrants our just another scapegoat offered up by the elites as a form of misdirection. In fact whenever you feel your poor condition is the fault of any group in the middle or working class you are letting our wealthy oppressors off the hook at the expense of one of your fellows. Alway punch up! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy and agree with most of your comments (really like the Jefferson quote you shared recently) just think you’re wrong on the who the culprits are when it comes to the disappearing living-wage-working-class jobs.
The corporate lobbyists have undone the contract with the middle class by pushing for off-shoring of jobs. The result is less revenue for the government and a slow death for unionized labor. If we had a tax structure and trade policy similar to the Eisenhower years, we could have good middle class jobs in the public and private sectors, and a balanced budget. Cmack has fallen for the “divide and conquer” ploy by complaining about the temporarily surviving public sector employees. I think the rest of his comment is valid.
I can’t say that for the Democrates to wake up to find that this Russian nonsense is not working out well for their party wasn’t predictable is an understatement. From the very beginning when the Hillary people concocted this blame Russia theme, it appeared to be an artful dodge if nothing more. Although I have met people who believe this Russian interference story, I also know that by the Hillary people’s providing no real proof of this intrusion by the Russians also left the true blue Hillary supporters with little to intelligently debate with. The Hillary supporters best line was ‘the 17 intelligence agencies’ who said that the Russians hacked our elections, but even that fine piece of rhetoric didn’t hold up on closer examination, if one were to research it. I agree with the article, and the sooner the Democrates realize this the sooner they will have time to save their party, if at all it maybe saved.
There is no Democratic Party worth saving. They have revealed themselves as the phony handmaidens to the rich and we should be thankful for that. It’s well past time to form a party that serves the majority of people in the United States–the working class.
THANK YOU!
Another THANK YOU!
I agree. I loss faith in the Democrates back in 1972. I too am also hoping, and looking forward to a new party to be organized to represent the average people, who have been forgotten about for so long. My faith in this happening is very thin, so I’m not holding my breath, but I’m still imagining what it would be like to have such representation. Thanks for your comment Nancy. Joe
I’m with you Joe. Reminds me of Lennon’s song “Imagine”–we have to keep dreaming of a better world.
DONALD TRUMP BY ANY OTHER NAME
What the Democrats completely fail to comprehend is that the
Trump Administration is a direct product of failed Dem ocratic
policies past decades.
Since the 1970’s thousands of people have been laid off. The best
book on that is Louis Uchitelle’s THE DISPOSABLE AMERICAN:
LAYOFFS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES (Alfred A Knopf, NY,
2006). This is an eminently readable description (up close and
personal) of the lives of those who are laid off. It does not
focus in exclusively on “blue collar workers” (eg coal miners etc)
b ut includes as well those earning heft salaries. I remember
in particular a human resource director whose employer decided
that it did not need two HR directors.
It is precisely these people who formed the core of Donald Trump’s
“bases” or Hillary Clinton’s “non-base” in 2016.
Those whose lives were sundered went for somebody else (in this
case Donald Trump)_ and failed to get excited by Democratic
plans and programs. Empty words about training programs for
“today’s skills”, always underfunded and essentially humiliating
for disarded employees who had put in years to work themselves up.
If Donald Trump had been named Joe Smith it would have made
no difference to the thousands whose lives were broken, who faced
divorces, in some cases suicides. And hopeless depression.
The hate which accompanied the Trump campaign fits well with the
need to blame someone else. Anyone else for the catastrophes they face
as individuals and as families.
The Democratic party never had an answer for those who have been
laid off. Democrats turned instead to donor groups. Banks. Big
pharma. Recovery for the few (as Dr. Jack Rasmus points out)
centered on…you guessed it…tax cuts. Democrats were amazingly
successful in obtaining dollars and more dollars from these sources.
They did not obtain votes. Put another way (since they did obtain
votes if one decides to negate the Electoral College system in
America, a system with a long tradition like it or not) Thousands felt
collectively that those classes for restructuring the labor force were
not what they wanted.
Those who live in academic worlds loved the answers. And the money.
But thousands whose lives were in ruins did not respond to the
programs nor the money (which was, of course, from those
who had laid them off).
I have evaded specific recommendation here. Except that of
reading Louis Uchitelle’s book.
—-Peter Loeb, Boston, MA, USA
The democrat party is not worth saving, nor the republican party either. It’s time for something new.
It might work if it’s a downloadable app.
Someone will have to get the folks at the CIA a tissue for their issue.
March 31, 2017 The Surveillance State Behind Russia-Gate
Although many details are still hazy because of secrecy – and further befogged by politics – it appears House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes was informed last week about invasive electronic surveillance of senior U.S. government officials and, in turn, passed that information onto President Trump.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-surveillance-state-behind-russia-gate/5582211
The Dems are the Zionists’ left hand in America’s politics. That’s why Israel gets 100 votes in the U.S. Senate to support it’s continuous stream of crimes and atrocities. As Senator Dick Durbin said, “The banks own this place”. Israel was founded by war profiteering bankers (using religious fanatics as pawns) to create ongoing, profitable conflicts in the Mideast (not as a safe haven for anybody). For example,
War Profiteers and the Roots of the War on Terror
http://warprofiteerstory.blogspot.com
The war profiteering banks don’t like Trump’s campaign promises to avoid needless war. They don’t like his telling everyone that Bush lied to Americans to justify attacking Iraq. No matter what he says now, they don’t trust him. They have MAJOR crimes to keep covered up. That’s why they’re marshalling all their MSM news outlets and controlled government agencies to attack Trump.