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The Official Paracast Political Thread! — Part Three

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Constance said:
Tyger, I realize that the above does not represent your own point of view, but I want to comment on the problem that arises in our 'soundbite' culture of attempts to reduce complex issues to either/or rather than both/and interpretations. I also want to say how indebted I am to you for posting so many discussions of our current situation vis a vis Trump as US president.
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I perhaps should clarify - Thom Hartmann indicated his concern that the Russian business was nudging the voter suppression story out of the immediate spotlight (if it ever was in the 'spotlight' in the mainstream press). He was not saying that the Russian business is not important - though he has called for the evidence to be made public rather than remain at the level of an accusation.

More to the point, the view of Greg Palast (possibly Thom Hartmann, it's Jill Stein who characterized the election as a Jim Crow election) is that the election was lost due to voter suppression - that's the story that is felt is being buried under the avalanche of Russia news (complicated as it takes the heat off the GOP operatives and sits it squarely on the Russians). Hillary really was the candidate who would have been elected were it not for the gerrymandering and for the voter suppression (Crosscheck). The numbers are pretty clear.

What puzzles me is why are the Republicans getting on board with this so overtly. Nothing happens for no reason. We all are aware of how problematic Trump is - but is he proving more so than the Republicans counted on? They thought they could manage him - is it not proving so?

@S.R.L. As far as I know RT is funded by the Russian government the same way the BBC is funded in Britain. As I don't watch the newscasts on the network I can't speak for the 'slant' - but it would be nothing different from America's radio broadcasts to Europe and elsewhere with the US 'slant'. That said - RT has amassed an impressive roster of liberal/progressive 'talking heads' shows with the likes of Thom Hartmann, Abby Martin, Erin Ade, Larry King, Mike Papantonio (Robert Kennedy Jr's buddy) - and several others whose names escape me now. Some of the people (not the ones I just mentioned) got fired from their mainstream jobs because of their views. All of them have said that RT does not edit their views as expressed on their shows.

It's likely - this is me theorizing - that RT doesn't mind allowing strongly critical shows of the US political scene to be aired (Abby Martin is intense) - where the mainstream media in the US is not that 'free'. It's a crazy world. But RT seems to be equivalent to Al Jazeera television.

But even more crazy - and scary - is the fact that one of the last bastions of the opposition in the US can only find a hearing on the RT airwaves. Democracy Now has a progressive network.

In this interview with Larry King from two years ago, Thom Hartmann talks about going on RT having worked out a deal with RT for doing a show with complete editoral integrity and independence. He states that RT has a considerable 'throw around the world' so he is pleased to be with RT. The section starts at 6:40 - and at the end of the clip Martin and Ade comment on why there is a smear campaign directed at RT. [EDIT: From Wikipedia - "Abby Martin is an American journalist and presenter of The Empire Files, a weekly investigative news program on teleSUR English and YouTube. She was formerly the host of Breaking the Set on RT America network, working from the Washington, D.C. bureau. Before hosting her own show, she had worked for two years as a correspondent for RT America."

Politicking: RT's Thom Hartmann, Abby Martin and Erin Ade Face Off with Larry King
TEXT: Published on Jul 7, 2014: Larry King talks with "The Big Picture" host Thom Hartmann about his book "The Crash of 2016," his radio show and editorial control of his RT America show. Then Larry sits down with Erin Ade, host of "Boom Bust," and Abby Martin, host of "Breaking the Set," to find out all about the women of RT America, from how they got their starts to the highlights of their shows to the all-important question: "Are you single?"
 
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"Hillary Clinton has won more than 2.86 million votes more than Donald Trump, leading the 'orange demagogue' by more than 2.1 percent. The number of votes Clinton has won falls just over 70,000 shy of what Obama won with in 2012. The votes were in the wrong states to win. The difference between Obama in 2012 and Clinton in 2016 is a whopping 100 electoral votes."

The issue is, however, but for the gerrymandering and voter suppression, Hillary would have won those 4 states, too. The truth is, the 'will of the people' did not prevail.
 
"What fresh hell is this?" - Dorothy Parker's line when answering the phone. It fits.

Leak reveals Rex Tillerson was director of Bahamas-based US-Russian oil firm
Documents from tax haven will raise more questions over suitability of Donald Trump’s pick for US secretary of state
LINK: Leak reveals Rex Tillerson was director of Bahamas-based US-Russian oil firm
TEXT: "Rex Tillerson, the businessman nominated by Donald Trump to be the next US secretary of state, was the long-time director of a US-Russian oil firm based in the tax haven of the Bahamas, leaked documents show."
 
A tweet that is perfect: "What's the term for feeling like you are living in a movie about the end times but it's much dumber than you thought it would be?"
 
I am going to call it. Trump won again. This is hillaryeous. Let the pouting begin.


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pixelsmith said:


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I remember this one making the news in the land down under, and thinking this crosses the line from confidence to arrogance.
They were so sure he could not possibly be elected as next POTUS. Comments like that can be interpreted by the electorate as saying you have no say.
 
Tyger said:
The issue is, however, but for the gerrymandering and voter suppression, Hillary would have won those 4 states, too. The truth is, the 'will of the people' did not prevail.
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Actually, the constant releases of mostly normal DNC emails hacked under Russian direction, plus the two letters to Congressional Republicans by FBI Director Comey with bogus Clinton email aspersions were enough to seal her doom.

The best way to fight voter suppression is for the victims to fight back and do what they have to do to get the right to vote. Don't just sit down and take it.
 
Obviously they can't suppress my vote because I'm white and reasonably well educated. It's easier to target minorities and those in public housing because they represent large groups Republicans can focus on, knowing they are too busy trying to survive to fight back.

Look at the history of what Jeb Bush and his crew did in Florida in 2000 before the election, and you'll see more than enough suppressed votes to keep Gore's totals down.
 
I took a little more from the coverage than that though. She did spend more time in the debates telling the electorate what a nasty man Trump was than she did selling her own policy's. The focus was more on what he would do (with a negative spin) if he became president, rather than what she would do if elected.
At one stage she even said "When i am President", Which again tells the electorate this is a done deal, its going to be me.

As for the Russians, the two country's Ive lived in don't have that same "Reds under the bed" cultural animosity that the US does.
Perhaps that's why i don't see what they did as particularly sinister. Sure if they had actually rigged the vote, hacked in and added bogus votes to the tally that would be serious. But all they did was release information. The electorate got to look at what was exposed and make their own minds up.
Those that were going to vote for Hillary were unlikely to be swayed in significant numbers by email leaks etc.

It seemed to me her campaign was largely based on "Don't vote for him because...." When perhaps it should have been " Vote for me because......"
 
So it all will play out. A different country. We shall see.

Papantonio: Koch Brothers Hustled Donald Trump
TEXT: "Published on Dec 17, 2016: 'America’s Lawyer' Mike Papantonio joins Thom Hartmann on The Big Picture to discuss the influence of the Koch Brothers in the 2016 election, and how their strategy of spending money on local elections was a huge success."
 
Don't Believe The Republicans Who Say Social Security Won't Hurt Today's Seniors!
TEXT: "Published on Dec 19, 2016: Thom talks to caller Carol, who explains why seniors shouldn't believe the claims that any cuts to Social Security and Medicare will not impact current retirees."
 
mike said:
Those that were going to vote for Hillary were unlikely to be swayed in significant numbers by email leaks etc.
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What that did accomplish, was to embolden Trump supporters in rallying behind their loose cannon while some independents who were going to vote for Clinton ended up voting for a third party, or, not at all.
 
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Does Trump Mean the End of the Internet As We Know It?
TEXT: "Published on Dec 19, 2016: Thom talks to Chris Lewis of Public Knowledge about what Donald Trump's election means for the future of net neutrality. Later on in the program, Thom talks to Eleanor Goldfield of Occupy.com and Sam Daley-Harris of the Center for Citizen Empowerment about the battle for the soul of the Democratic Party, the coup staged by North Carolina Republicans, and why it's time to say goodbye to the electoral college."
 
mike said:
I took a little more from the coverage than that though. She did spend more time in the debates telling the electorate what a nasty man Trump was than she did selling her own policy's.
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Actually she spent half of the debate hours raising her eyebrows and smiling while Trump insulted, belittled, and libeled her with his bullying personal attacks. No male candidate would have stood for it; the debate moderators shouldn't have. It's obvious that many of his representations of her and her actions were lies. During the other half of the time she did articulately outline her own policies, but that was far less colorful and entertaining for the mass undereducated American public than the spectacle Trump provided through his verbal bashing and battering of her. I was amazed by how much abuse she took without giving back as good as she got. I would have, most women I know would have, but no doubt her campaign advisors recommended against that.

I also have to admit that I've grown tired of HC's economic centrism over the years and distrust her hawkish tendencies, while I applaud her activism in the causes of social justice. I voted for the nomination of Bernie Sanders, whose social, economic, and political views and goals I've shared for years.

The focus was more on what he would do (with a negative spin) if he became president, rather than what she would do if elected.
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I wonder what positive 'spin' you can think can be put on Trump's campaign messages and, at this point in the transition, on his Cabinet appointments and behavior?

As for the Russians, the two country's Ive lived in don't have that same "Reds under the bed" cultural animosity that the US does.
Perhaps that's why i don't see what they did as particularly sinister. Sure if they had actually rigged the vote, hacked in and added bogus votes to the tally that would be serious. But all they did was release information. The electorate got to look at what was exposed and make their own minds up.
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No one knows yet whether they tampered with some of the computers used in counting the votes in the tens of thousands of counties managing this process throughout the 50 states. Even if they didn't, the 'information' they propagated constituted a unified effort to diminish the American public's view of HC, thus to influence the election. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress recognize this as manipulation by a foreign government. There will be reviews by both Senate and House committees of all this, and hopefully an independent commission established to investigate it, similar to the Watergate and 9-11 independent commissions.
 
Tyger said:
"Hillary Clinton has won more than 2.86 million votes more than Donald Trump, leading the 'orange demagogue' by more than 2.1 percent. The number of votes Clinton has won falls just over 70,000 shy of what Obama won with in 2012. The votes were in the wrong states to win. The difference between Obama in 2012 and Clinton in 2016 is a whopping 100 electoral votes."

The issue is, however, but for the gerrymandering and voter suppression, Hillary would have won those 4 states, too. The truth is, the 'will of the people' did not prevail.
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Don't Trump supporters notice the way Trump refers to his election as a 'landslide' and a 'mandate' while in fact he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly three million votes? How does this stuff not sink in for the Trumpists? It's a case of being, or deciding to be, wilfully ignorant. Pitiable, and dangerous in a democracy.
 
Tyger said:
So it all will play out. A different country. We shall see.

Papantonio: Koch Brothers Hustled Donald Trump
TEXT: "Published on Dec 17, 2016: 'America’s Lawyer' Mike Papantonio joins Thom Hartmann on The Big Picture to discuss the influence of the Koch Brothers in the 2016 election, and how their strategy of spending money on local elections was a huge success."
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The Koch Brothers have been influencing the rise of the radical right in the US for the last twenty years, financing the drafting of "model bills" favoring corporate control of the US economy and distributing them to state legislators at national summer conferences they also financed (including travel expenses for the state senators and representatives if needed). I know this because I worked as a legislative editor in the Bill Drafting Office of the Florida Senate for the last 15 years of my working life, during which time we received increasing numbers of these 'model bills' as submissions from a number of Republican Senators. Sometimes they came to the Bill Drafting Office still bearing the names of other states that had processed the same legislation earlier. And that's just one element in a widespread program carried out by the Koch Brothers in states where their millions/billions of dollars of investments bought the election of increasing numbers of Republican governors and representatives to the federal Senate and House. The Tea Party? Without a doubt. Trump? They paved the way for him or someone like him, though as noted in the video @Tyger posted, they didn't have to spend their money on Trump's campaign since his crony capitalists funded him themselves. Maybe Putin helped with that too.

What's the plan? Even more corporate control of US lawmakers and laws, federal and state, no matter the economic effects on the US population or on the environment or on future wars for oil and other resources around the planet, in other people's countries. All easier and easier to do without the critical questions of the fourth estate to deal with, as Trump has accomplished by demonizing the press throughout his campaign for the presidency, rousing gleeful acclaim by his blind followers. Most people, you know, don't want to think through this stuff too much. They prefer reality tv to thinking about the problems confronting contemporary reality.
 
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