In light of the FBI's having examined whether Trump is a Russian asset, do you think he is?

Is an explanation required?
Nobody tells any secrets to Trump; and even if they did, by the time it was passed on, he'd have changed it, garbled it, denied it or added a couple of zeroes, depending on who'd been goading him.
Anyway, just putting those two words in the same sentence is a bit ludicrous.

 

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Not a safe presumption. There's plenty of value left in Trump, on the one hand,

and Putin may not be able to discard Trump, on the other. The process may take out much of his still fragile hold on the US political system, which appears to be largely via Republican Party connections.

 

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To me the only scenario that makes sense of all the issues highlighted by the Trump Administration is:

• Trump has a salacious and extortable history in Russia that only Putin has a hold of.
• The Mueller inquiry has been allowed to continue to prevent Putin capitalizing on what he has over Trump. It acts as a way of ensuring that Trump does not back channel to Putin clandestinely. For whilst Trumps history is between Putin and Trump, Mueller is there to make sure it stays history and that any ongoing direct influence by Putin is neutralized. Even if Mueller fails to find the smoking gun it would have served it's purpose.
• Putin has to accept that his direct influence has been compromised.
• Trump still has to provide value to Putin in a way that does not confirm his relationship with Putin. (Pressure from Mueller)
• Trump constantly attempts to neutralize any scandalous issues by claiming fake news etc. and in doing so manages to minimize the risk of a Putin Dossier being released to the public.

The anticipation is that to protect the democratic system in the USA Trump must see out at least one term regardless of the cost. ( barring successful impeachment)
That a pseudo shadow goverenment had to be invoked to ensure national (Global) security.

 

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The USIC isn't there or supposed to be Trump's friend.

 

Good, Lord! My OP is one of the shortest posts I've made and still you missed the point.

That, the gender stereotypes and cowboy mythology is not at all what's been "turned into" a "spy story." The "spy story," as you put it, derives from, among other things, Trump's cleaving to Putin's assertions over those of his own USIC advisors. Cowboys and "he manliness" ain't got pea turkey squat to do with it.

 

I disagree. If anything, Putin's hand is still strong, since he holds the truth over Trump, who does not want it to come out, he wants to win reelection. Sanctions are being lifted, troops are withdrawing from Syria, and Trump is getting his new Attorney General. And, the Republican congress has been compromised through the NRA, and maybe AMI. Perhaps the Democrats too, who knows.

 

i think you may have misused this word

lol
you have clearly shown your hand here.

you are a trump supporter playing the "i dont really know if he is that bad" game...

 

note "satire"{i am joking}

 

On the topic of Trump's continuing value to Putin: A couple of people have noted that Trump seems to be blocking, rather than pushing, the bombing of Iran.

 

note iran have said they are continuing their missile development.
that wont be a statement for nothing.
there must be a reason behind them making that statement.

considering whatshisface just went back to DPRK they were probably trying to get DPRK to stop missile development also as part of a sanctions deal lift they probably offered.
to which iran was probably offered as second hand pickings to which they probably said "shove it up your ass"

even more so now the usa is bent on sending all south american working class into the gutter & starvation to push its own oil agenda price leverage.

but if civil war breaks out in south america the us alt-right will have their smoking gun to make their crazy lunatic cousin military leader (euphemistic personality culture model)with as many guns and free working class tax income as possible.
the USA alt-right wet dream going to war against unarmed peasants in a mass killing blood bath.
oil prices in the usa will be legitimately increased making the middle east very happy while they make best friends with south america who are being persecuted by the big ugly USA monster, which will drive the usa culture further into the gutter.

assuming that the intention was not to simply have the usa implode in a mess and then take over the global economic distribution channels of power & access rights.

when did the usa elitist not try dividing their own country to take as much money as possible ?

unfortunately the usa republican party have been shaking their fists at Venezuela for so long now they have gone and bought a whole butt load of stingers.

now every crack pot in south america will be able to shoot down civilian planes.
how useful is that ?!
it looks like the alt-right republican elite think they can play puppets with other countrys and have clean hands.

i dont see how this is a win

 

He doesn't think it will play well. And it will raise oil prices.

 

It doesn't bloody matter what he does. He's already done enough damage - a few more dominoes will come down after he's gone.
From here, it's mostly about containment and mitigation. Russia has no interest in that, and lots of other fish to fry.

 

Nothing that Putin doesn't want plays well with Trump. That's his value, on top of the destruction of US power and prosperity he accomplishes.

 

I have not misused "cleave.' I'm well aware I haven't "the world's best/largest" working vocabulary, but as do others who paid attention in school instead of seeking the award for "Most Likely to Remain a Clown," I know it surpasses that expected of a high school senior.

It's clear you've not noticed, and that is what it is and fine that it is; however, if you're of a mind to be a pedestrian pedantic lackey, particularly with regard to my diction, you must, at the very least, intelligent, learned and thorough.

• Learned people know "cleave" has two entirely different verb meanings.
• Thorough, as opposed to intellectually torpid, people would have read Google's entire entry for "cleave." In so doing they'd have come upon the definition that comports with my use of that word. Alternatively, they may have consulted Merriam-Webster whereat they'd have found the usage I applied is the first one listed.
• An intelligent person, before stooping to suggest I'm dictionally slovenly, would have been far charier than you. They would do because such is preferable to demonstrating, as you have, that they're but a malingering evangelical crusader for multidimensional sub-mediocrity.

So, before you again deign to declare me a dimwitted dissembler on account of perceived deficiencies in my diction, I suggest you diligently "dot your eyes and cross your tees" lest I again show the vanity of that ignominious mass of warbling inanity called your brain.

And, no, I wouldn't normally be so scathing; however, few folks even consider challenging anyone's use of a word so simple and common as "cleave." (I suggest you learn one of "cleave's" synonyms: "hew.")

 

...

you misunderstand
aligned Vs turned into as a process to change the nature of the subject
vs
the changing of a controlled narrative to assert a difference that can be then altered to a pre conceived narrative etc...

a convenient ulterior narrative is always an ideal way to alter coarse without the need to appear to be turning the wheel in a different direction.

 

That apparent loyalty to Trump often corresponds to apparent betrayal of one's country has been established in court:
https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/02/...m_campaign=Feed: emptywheel/cAUy (emptywheel)

 

And in that vein, some recent stuff:
http://yastreblyansky.blogspot.com/2019/02/got-paranoia-puppet-puppet.html#more

The question is not whether Trump is a Russian asset - it's what kind of asset he is.

 

I suppose, but from my POV, there is no good-for-the-US kind of Russian asset a POTUS can be; thus, though inquiring minds may want to know, what kind of Russian asset Trump be strikes me as a moot question.

 

It is interesting though. I don't think many people imagine that he is a witting agent but I do occasionally wonder what might lead one to conclude that he might be a witting as opposed to an unwitting one.

I have always felt that people's loyalty is first to themselves and then their immediate circle.

Then there are layers of supra national classes that people can give allegiance to (religion, "the workers" the jet set etc etc etc)

Might Trump see himself as one of these new Gods of financial corruption spanning the crumbling national borders?

Is his MAGA a front for the real lip service he gives to his American identity? He does push it a lot (too much protests?)


Is that jut idle speculation?

My bottom line is that the nationalist urge is a drug in itself and so might actually feel some pity for poor boy Trump's circumstance if he was not so eminently unpitiable.

 

At what point does he become an asset for Putin?
What does he have to do and what actual strings are needed?

the reason I ask these questions is that I was considering the possibility that while Trump may not be directly and asset he may be indirectly.
After watching a speech by Putin about his desire to end the unipolar world order and install a multi polar world order and after Trump let it slip out in one of his speeches, that he favored a multi polar order, I got to thinking that perhaps Trump and Putin share a very similar ideology and Trump admires Putin for it. ( and vice versa )

If Trump shares Putin's multipolar ideology does that make him a Putin asset?