Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Our own fake news

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  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to simon g,

    the Jordan Williams outfit

    While flicking channels last night, I noticed he was a guest on TV3's The Project - I didn't tarry...

    But I can imagine him, tarry ...
    and feathery!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Rich Lock,

    The desired and ongoing result is to weaken western-style democracies by gaslighting the populations on a massive scale.

    Adam Curtis in 2014, on the rise of Vladislav Surkov:

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Neil, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Trump Campaign Chief’s Firm Got $17 Million From Pro-Russia Party

    Shortly after yet another less than transperent contact between Trump and Putin is revealed Trump ends Obama's support for moderate Syrian opposition groups. The Alt world is of course celebrating another win for Putin.

    It's odd how those who argue Assad might be bad but the alternative is worse never argued Clinton might be bad but the alternative is worse.

    It's a type of authoritarianism that might not be new but seems to be gaining momentum.

    Since Nov 2016 • 382 posts Report Reply

  • Neil,

    Still nothing to see here:

    Paul Behrends, a top aide to [Republican] Representative Dana Rohrabacher, has been ousted from his role as staff director for the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee that Rohrabacher chairs, after stories appeared in the press highlighting his relationships with pro-Russia lobbyists.

    Rohrabacher voted against Obamacare, denies global warming, and oh yes is a friend of Putin and supported Putin's invasion of Crimea.

    Chairs a House Foreign Affairs committee.

    Since Nov 2016 • 382 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    In the latest outrage from the Chump-in-Chief, Trump Wouldn’t Have Picked Sessions If He Had Known Sessions Would Recuse Himself on Russia on Slate.


    [Edit]
    The actual source is a New York Times interview.
    He's also threatened Mueller if he goes after the Trump family finances.

    In other news, Sessions greenlights police to seize cash, property from people suspected of crimes but not charged, which, as my friend Doug van Belle pointed out on FB:

    They really don't think these things through, do they?
    Technically, with the revival of this programme and an honest belief that a crime has been committed, any FBI agent can now seize all of the Trump family's assets.

    I'm worried about the oncoming popcorn shortage, myself.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Neil,

    As Trump falters, supporters in a Pennsylvania county that swung Republican in 2016 blame the media for his woes and insist Hillary Clinton would be worse

    It's not just arsehole contrarianism that motivates people like Greenwald, it's also financial interest - there's a depressingly large market for the blame anyone but Trump line.

    Since Nov 2016 • 382 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Neil,

    As Trump falters, supporters in a Pennsylvania county that swung Republican in 2016 blame the media for his woes and insist Hillary Clinton would be worse

    It's not just arsehole contrarianism that motivates people like Greenwald, it's also financial interest - there's a depressingly large market for the blame anyone but Trump line.

    Seems consistent with stats showing it was middle-class precarity and cultural anxiety "wot won it" for Trump, rather than working-class economic anxiety. And if you haven't read these already...

    * Iyad El-Baghdadi - The Seven Trends behind the Global Rise of Populism
    * NYT - How Fear of Falling Explains the Love of Trump
    * Nick Hanauer - To My Fellow Plutocrats: You Can Cure Trumpism

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen R, in reply to nzlemming,

    They really don't think these things through, do they?
    Technically, with the revival of this programme and an honest belief that a crime has been committed, any FBI agent can now seize all of the Trump family's assets.

    Nah, the way asset forfeiture works is they take usually just enough to make it worth it, but not enough that the court costs to recover it won't be more. The side effect of that is that poor (often non-white) people with difficulty maintaining bank accounts have their cash nicked without comeback (Oh, you're carrying cash - must be for drugs.)

    Trump (currently) has enough money to pay lawyers to fight it.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2009 • 259 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Stephen R,

    Trump (currently) has enough money to pay lawyers to fight it.

    Maybeeee...
    Currently, his and his family's legal expenses are being covered by the 2020 campaign fund.

    And, further to the NT Times interview, Sessions has told staff at DoJ that he will not be resigning, leading to consternation among Trump's aides, apparently.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock, in reply to Stephen R,

    Trump (currently) has enough money to pay lawyers to fight it.

    Well, if the guy won't pay and he won't listen, then it's not necessarily a get out jail free card.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    And another one's gone,
    And another one's gone
    And another one bites the dust....

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Neil, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    Wisconsin’s Voter-ID Law Suppressed 200,000 Votes in 2016 (Trump Won by 22,748)

    It makes you wonder why quite a few US pundits - who claim to have really really wanted Trump not to win - spent so much time and energy condemning the Dem campaign and Clinton for being out of touch, emails etc.

    Since Nov 2016 • 382 posts Report Reply

  • Neil, in reply to ,

    I think they just wanted Clinton to lose and to hell with the consequences. The pretense of maintaining that had nothing to do with who is the current President is the weird part.

    Regarding the 3rd party vote, it’s chilling how closely Jill Stein followed Nada with similar consequences.

    From Nada’s wiki page:

    …when asked why Nader would not agree to avoid swing states where his chances of getting votes were less, answered, “Because we want to punish the Democrats, we want to hurt them, wound them."

    ….

    His [Nada’s] candidacy was based on the self-serving argument that it would make no difference whether Gore or George W. Bush were elected.

    Shockingly familiar. Punishing the Dems still seems to be the goal of many pundits regardless of what failings they actually may have and of the very obvious consequences.

    Since Nov 2016 • 382 posts Report Reply

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