;)
April 5, 2022
Afternoon Update:
David Smith & Jon Henley of the Guardian: "Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has given the UN security council a harrowing account of atrocities in his country and demanded that Russian leaders be 'brought to justice for war crimes'. A day after Joe Biden called for Putin to be held to account, Zelenskiy said there should be an international tribunal similar to the Nuremberg trials of Nazis after the second world war. There has been global revulsion at apparently deliberate civilian killings by Russian troops in Ukraine. Zelenskiy visited the town of Bucha on Monday after officials said the bodies of 410 civilians had been recovered from Kyiv-area towns after Russian troops withdrew. 'There is not a single crime that they would not commit there,' Zelenskiy said ia video link and an interpreter. 'The Russians searched for and purposely killed anyone who served our country. They shot and killed women outside their houses. They killed entire families -- adults and children -- and they tried to burn the bodies.'"
Oh, TuKKKer! Max Boot of the Washington Post: "Only someone born yesterday would be remotely surprised by the atrocities revealed in Bucha, Ukraine. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has been committing war crimes since the day he took office. That makes it all the more sinister and enraging that he retains an influential rooting section of right-wing voters in the United States. The Pew Research Center finds that the number of Republicans expressing confidence in the Russian tyrant has, mercifully, declined from 37 percent in 2006 to just 7 percent today. But some of the loudest and most influential voices in the MAGA movement still refuse to support Ukraine or stop pushing Russian propaganda.... The worst offenders are also the most influential: ... Donald Trump and Fox 'News' host Tucker Carlson. Hey, Tucker, are you still rooting for Russia over Ukraine -- as you said you were in 2019?"
Ivanka Speaks. Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "Ivanka Trump..., Donald J. Trump's eldest daughter, who served as one of his senior advisers, plans to testify on Tuesday before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the matter. Ms. Trump was one of several aides who tried to persuade the president to call off the violence that ultimately injured more than 150 police officers and sent lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence fleeing for safety, according to evidence gathered by the committee. The schedule for her testimony, which was reported earlier by NBC, comes days after her husband, Jared Kushner, who was also a top adviser to Mr. Trump, sat for an interview and provided what one member of the panel described as 'valuable' and 'helpful' information."
Marie: Looks as if the Conde de Mar-a-Lardo sort of accidentally admitted he lost the 2020 election: ~~~
Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: In that same Zoom interview with the historians -- story linked below -- "Describing his attempts to make South Korea pay more for US military assistance, Trump said Moon Jae-in, the South Korean president, was among the 'happiest' world leaders after the 2020 US election put Joe Biden in the White House. 'By not winning the election,' Trump said, 'he was the happiest man -- I would say, in order, China was -- no, Iran was the happiest. [Moon] was going to pay $5bn, $5bn a year. But when I didn't win the election, he had to be the happiest -- I would rate, probably, South Korea third- or fourth-happiest.' Trump also said 'the election was rigged and lost'."
~~~~~~~~~~
Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "The U.N. Security Council will meet on Tuesday as the United States and Europe threaten to further isolate President Vladimir V. Putin and demand that he be held accountable for possible war crimes by Russian forces outside the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. France, the United States and Britain are likely to present evidence that atrocities were committed in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, where more than 300 bodies have been found since Russian forces retreated last week. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine traveled there on Monday and called out Europe's leaders for not doing enough to stop Russia. He said he expected the civilian death toll to rise as officials cleared more homes. But it will be difficult for the council to agree on any concrete measures because of the veto power held by Russia and China." ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Tuesday are here: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to demand greater help from world powers at a U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday to battle Russia and hold its forces accountable over mounting evidence of civilian killings near Kyiv that have sparked global outrage.... In southern Ukraine -- where Moscow appears to be shifting its military focus, along with parts of the east -- a Red Cross team seeking to evacuate people from the battered port city of Mariupol was released overnight. A Ukrainian official accused Russian forces of detaining the aid workers trying to reach trapped residents struggling to survive a brutal siege." ~~~
~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Tuesday are here.
Allie Malloy of CNN: "President Joe Biden on Monday called the atrocities allegedly committed by Russian forces in Bucha, Ukraine, a 'war crime' and called for a trial to take place against ... Vladimir Putin.... [Biden] said he was looking into additional sanctions against Russia.... US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the State Department would help document any attacks by Russian troops against Ukrainian civilians. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called the deaths of civilians in Bucha a 'brutality' and said 'I strongly welcome' an investigation by International Criminal Court, which has opened an investigation into war crimes in Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed the extensive footage of dead civilians in Bucha was 'fake' and that 'not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions' during Russia's occupation of the town." MB: Second only to the atrocities themselves is the audacity of the Defense Ministry to mock its victims by declaring their dead bodies "fake." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Malachy Browne et al., of the New York Times: "An analysis of satellite images by The New York Times rebuts claims by Russia that the killing of civilians in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, occurred after its soldiers had left the town.... In a Telegram post on Sunday, the ministry suggested that the bodies had been recently placed on the streets after 'all Russian units withdrew completely from Bucha' around March 30. Russia claimed that the images were 'another hoax' and called for an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting on what it called 'provocations of Ukrainian radicals' in Bucha. But a review of videos and satellite imagery by The Times shows that many of the civilians were killed more than three weeks ago, when Russia's military was in control of the town." ~~~
~~~ Eliot Higgins of bellingcat: "... open source evidence exists that appears to run counter to claims of elaborate fakes and staged productions, as well as calling into question the apparent timeline of events as depicted by Russia in recent days." Although Higgins doesn't cite satellite imagery, he does lay out quite a bit of other evidence against Moscow's preposterous claims.
A Census of War Crimes. Robert Klemko of the Washington Post: Ukraine's "prosecutor general's office estimates the country is using about 50,000 investigators from five different law enforcement agencies to investigate war crimes. They are conducting interviews across the country and meticulously documenting evidence that they hope to use in war crimes prosecutions against ... Vladimir Putin and the military force he sent to invade Ukraine.... They have fanned out across Ukraine, addressing small groups of mostly female and elderly displaced people in churches, classrooms and auditoriums...."
Carlotta Gall of the New York Times: "Badly frightened and hungry, residents of Nova Basan, a town east of Kyiv, emerged from their cottages and farmhouses on Monday, and described living through the terrifying ordeal of the Russian occupation -- detentions, threats and a strict curfew that confined them to their homes with no outside communication for more than a month. Nova Basan, about 60 miles east of the Ukrainian capital, is one of a stretch of towns and villages retaken from Russian control after battles through the last week of March, and just now coming back to life.... Mykola Dyachenko, the official responsible for the administration of the town and surrounding villages..., said he was among some 20 men who were held prisoner by Russian troops for 25 days during the occupation.... He said he had been put through what he called a mock execution 15 times while being questioned about local Ukrainian territorial defense forces and ammunition stored in the area."
Bethan McKernan of the Guardian: "Women across Ukraine are grappling with the threat of rape as a weapon of war as growing evidence of sexual violence emerges from areas retaken from retreating Russian forces.... As Russian troops have withdrawn from towns and suburbs around the capital in order to refocus the war effort on Ukraine's east, women and girls have come forward to tell the police, media and human rights organisations of atrocities they have suffered at the hands of Russian soldiers. Gang-rapes, assaults taking place at gunpoint, and rapes committed in front of children are among the grim testimonies collected by investigators.... Rape and sexual assault are considered war crimes and a breach of international humanitarian law, and both Ukraine's prosecutor general and the international Criminal Court have said they will open investigation into reported sexual violence." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Francisco Ubilla, et al., of the AP: "The U.S. government on Monday seized a 254-foot yacht in Spain owned by an oligarch with close ties to ... Vladimir Putin, a first by the Biden administration under sanctions imposed after the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine and targeting pricey assets of Russian elites. Spain's Civil Guard and U.S. federal agents descended on the Tango at the Marina Real in the port of Palma de Mallorca, the capital of Spain's Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Associated Press reporters at the scene saw police going in and out of the boat.... The yacht is among the assets linked to Viktor Vekselberg, a billionaire and close Putin ally who heads the Moscow-based Renova Group, a conglomerate encompassing metals, mining, tech and other assets, according to U.S. Treasury Department documents." MB: Gosh, I hope all us taxpayer-owners get to go yachting on our new luxury vessel. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Adam Cancryn of Politico: "The Biden administration is planning on Tuesday to propose a long-sought change to the Affordable Care Act aimed at lowering health insurance costs for millions of Americans, four people with knowledge of the matter told Politico. The new policy is designed to close a loophole in the ACA known as the 'family glitch' that's prevented an estimated 5 million people from qualifying for subsidized health plans -- even when they can't find affordable coverage elsewhere." The Washington Post's story is here. ~~~
~~~ I Like What You've Done with the Place. Annie Linskey of the Washington Post: "... Tuesday afternoon..., [President] Obama [will step] into the White House for the first time since he vacated the premises in 2017.... The immediate reason for Tuesday's visit is for Obama to witness President Biden signing an executive order strengthening the Affordable Care Act, Obama's landmark domestic achievement. But Obama's appearance will also take place against the backdrop of low poll numbers for Biden, dim electoral prospects for Democrats and an urgent search for a spark by party leaders."
Marie: I did not read this "Garland Under Pressure" story when it first came out, as I previously had linked quite a few similar articles. But I noticed today that the NYT story does contain one interesting tidbit: ~~~
~~~ Katie Benner, et al., of the New York Times (April 2): "As recently as late last year, [President] Biden confided to his inner circle that he believed ... Donald J. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted, according to two people familiar with his comments. And while the president has never communicated his frustrations directly to [Attorney General Merrick] Garland, he has said privately that he wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action over the events of Jan. 6." MB: Bear in mind that this is the kind of stuff leaders like to have "confidentially" leaked. But Merrick Garland can read, and it sends him a sotto voce message from the guy who appointed him.
Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "A nearly unified wall of G.O.P. opposition to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson cracked slightly on Monday as two more Senate Republicans said they would side with Democrats in supporting her, paving the way for her confirmation as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. Senators Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined a third Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, in lending their support to Judge Jackson, defying deep resistance in their party to the nominee. The G.O.P. opposition was underscored anew on Monday when all 11 Republicans on the Judiciary Committee voted against the nomination. That prompted Democrats to use an unusual procedure to force the nomination out of the deadlocked panel with a vote of the full Senate, which agreed to the move by a vote of 53 to 47.... [Murkowski's & Romney's] support came after another contentious day in the Judiciary Committee, during which Republicans spent hours vehemently reiterating their opposition to her elevation. The N.A.A.C.P. called the resulting deadlock in the panel a 'stain' on the committee." ~~~
~~~ Mary Jalonick & Kevin Freking of the AP: "The Senate Judiciary Committee deadlocked, 11-11, Monday on whether to send Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court nomination to the Senate floor. But President Joe Biden's nominee is still on track to be confirmed this week as the first Black woman on the high court. The committee's tie vote was expected, as there is an even party split on the panel and all of the Republicans are opposing Jackson&'s nomination to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. But it was still a blow to Democrats who had hoped for robust bipartisan support -- and it was the first time the committee has deadlocked on a Supreme Court nomination in three decades. In order to move forward, Democrats planned a new vote to 'discharge' Jackson's nomination from committee Monday evening and then take a series of procedural steps in the coming days to wind it through the 50-50 Senate. With the support of at least one Republican, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Jackson is on a glidepath toward confirmation by the end of the week." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Loose Lips Lindsey Says the Quiet Part Out Loud. Jordain Carney of the Hill: "Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) indicated on Monday that Senate Republicans wouldn't have accepted Ketanji Brown Jackson as a Supreme Court pick if they controlled the Senate and sent a warning shot about how Republicans will treat any Supreme Court nominees in 2023 or 2024. 'If we get back the Senate and we're in charge of this body and there is judicial openings, we will talk to our colleagues on the other side. But if we were in charge, she would not have been before this committee. You would have had somebody more moderate than this,' Graham said during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting." ~~~
~~~ Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "Judging by the numbers, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are obsessed with child pornography. In four days of Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the phrase 'child porn' (or 'pornography' or 'pornographer') was mentioned 165 times. There were also, according to transcripts, 142 uses of 'sex' ('sexual abuse,' 'sexual assault,' 'sexual intercourse,' 'sex crimes'), 15 of 'pedophile,' 13 of 'predators,' 18 of 'prepubescent' and nine of general pornography. There were only 30 mentions of the First Amendment and 12 of the Bill of Rights. The Republican fixation on pornography continued during Monday's round of statements by senators before the committee advanced Jackson's nomination to the Senate floor.... In fairness, child pornography wasn't Republicans' only obsession. The phrases 'critical race theory' or 'CRT' came up 66 times during the hearing."
Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court ruled on Monday in favor of a Brooklyn man who said he had been falsely accused by police officers of resisting arrest, saying he could sue for malicious prosecution under a federal civil rights law. The vote was 6 to 3, with the majority deciding only the narrow question of what the man, Larry Thompson, had to show to meet a requirement that there was a favorable termination of the prosecution against him."
Alex Henderson of Alternet: In September 2021, Donald Trump showed up on a Zoom conference with Princeton history professor Julian Zelizer & some other historians who were writing a book about his presidency* to give them his take on what a great job he had done & how the 2020 election was stolen from him. MB: Apparently Trump's experience with rubes has led him to believe that he can persuade anyone with his lies.
Josh Gerstein of Politico: "Lawyers for ... Donald Trump are asking a federal judge [-- Donald Middlebrooks --] appointed by President Bill Clinton to step aside from a suit Trump filed last month claiming that Hillary Clinton and her political allies engaged in a racketeering conspiracy to falsely accuse Trump of colluding with Russia to gain support in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.... Motions to recuse based on the identity or party of the president who appointed a judge are rarely granted. In a largely two-party system, federal judges are virtually certain to have been appointed by the political rivals of a president or his political allies."
Ha Ha. Meridith McGraw & Emily Birnbaum of Politico: "Top executives from ... Donald Trump's social media venture, Truth Social, have departed the company as the site has struggled to gain traction with users. Three top executives quit Truth Social, including chief technology officer, Josh Adams and Billy Boozer, the head of the company's product development, and chief legal officer, Lori Heyer-Bednar, according to two people familiar with the matter.... Trump launched the Truth Social app as a way to take on 'Big Tech.' He and his allies argued it would rival major social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, which both removed the former president from their platforms following the Jan. 6 riots on Capitol Hill.... Trump himself has only posted once on the app. He had 827,000 followers as of Monday morning. Former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) quit his job in Congress in order to serve as CEO of Truth Social." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) See Akhilleus' commentary below. ~~~
~~~ MEANWHILE, Over at the Competition. Michelle Chapman & Tom Krisher of the AP: "Tesla CEO Elon Musk acquired a 9% stake in Twitter to become its largest shareholder at a time when he is questioning the social media platform's dedication to free speech and the First Amendment. The ultimate aim of Musk's 73.5 million share purchase, worth about $3 billion, is not known. Yet in late March Musk, who has 80 million Twitter followers and is very active on the site, questioned free speech on Twitter and whether the platform is undermining democracy. It's unclear just when Musk bought the stake." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Although Musk "has a track record of silencing critics with threats of lawsuits and firing employees who disagree with him," [Business Insider link; BI is firewalled] he claims to be a "free speech absolutist." Stephanie Ruhle of MSNBC suggested that might cause Twitter's biggest shareholder to demand that Donald Trump & other misinformation and lie factories be allowed back on the platform.
AND There Will Be No Free Speech at Amazon. Ken Klippenstein of the Intercept: "Amazon will block and flag employee posts on a planned internal messaging app that contain keywords pertaining to labor unions, according to internal company documents reviewed by The Intercept. An automatic word monitor would also block a variety of terms that could represent potential critiques of Amazon's working conditions, like 'slave labor,' 'prison,' and 'plantation,' as well as 'restrooms' -- presumably related to reports of Amazon employees relieving themselves in bottles to meet punishing quotas. 'Our teams are always thinking about new ways to help employees engage with each other,' said Amazon spokesperson Barbara M. Agrait. 'This particular program has not been approved yet and may change significantly or even never launch at all.'";
Josh Margolin, et al., of ABC News: "Hunter Biden is apparently spending his father's presidency living in luxury in Malibu -- and so is his taxpayer-funded security detail. The Secret Service detail protecting the president's controversial son has been paying more than $30,000 a month to rent out a swanky Malibu, California, mansion for nearly a year, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News. The agency ... selected the property in order to be located as close as possible to Biden's own rented mansion where he is paying about $20,000 a month according to property listings, sources told ABC News.... The Spanish-style estate that the Secret Service has rented sits on a 0.7-acre lot above the Malibu coast and also features 'gorgeous ocean views,' according to its listing.... Hunter Biden's California lifestyle is coming into focus just as the federal probe into his tax affairs has intensified, as sources familiar with the matter recently told ABC News." MB: Gosh, you wouldn't expect Secret Service agents to stay in more humble digs back in the Malibu hills, would you? (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "There are four elements ... that make Fox News a uniquely damaging part of the American news landscape: its strength on the political right, the demonstrated way in which it shapes its viewers' beliefs, its grip on Republican power and the views of its leadership." Bump writes in response to a report that President Biden had privately called Rupert Murdoch "the most dangerous man in the world," and that the President felt Fox "News" was "one of the most destructive forces in the United States."
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here: "Senators announced a deal on a $10 billion coronavirus aid package on Monday to provide additional aid for domestic testing, vaccination and treatment efforts, after dropping a push to include billions for the global vaccination effort.... The package was announced by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, and Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah. Both have led negotiations in recent days. In a statement, Mr. Schumer said that President Biden supported the agreement, even though it was less than half of the White House's original $22.5 billion request.... The domestic spending is paid for largely by repurposing unspent money that was approved in March 2021 in the $1.9 trillion pandemic law that Democrats pushed through without any Republican votes, as well as some funds from the $2.2 trillion law approved under the Trump administration, a key Republican demand."
Lena Sun of the Washington Post: "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky announced plans Monday to revamp the agency that has come under blistering criticism for its performance leading the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying, 'it is time to step back and strategically position CDC to support the future of public health.' In an agencywide email sent shortly after 1 p.m., Walensky said she has hired a senior federal health official outside of the Atlanta-based agency to conduct a one-month review to 'kick off an evaluation of CDC's structure, systems, and processes.'"
Beyond the Beltway
Florida. Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: Gov. Ron "DeSantis escalated his attacks on Disney amid its criticism of the law he signed limiting classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity. But DeSantis's war on Disney will soon face a reckoning. A big question is whether DeSantis will seek to revoke Disney's state tax incentives as a weapon in the war over that measure, which opponents call the 'Don't Say Gay' law.... Some on the right, particularly the new nationalists seeking to build a post-Trump Trumpism, actually do believe the state should be weaponized to fight the culture wars as aggressively as possible.... One prominent right-wing activist explicitly told Michelle Goldberg [of the New York Times] that attacks on Disney are all about teaching it 'the lesson' that 'they should stay out of politics.' The goal is to wield state power to dissuade corporations from empowering the enemy known as social liberalism." ~~~
~~~ As Jonathan Chait of New York writes, in an article I can't link because it's firewalled, DeSantis' attack on Disney "is what post-Trump authoritarianism looks like."
Florida, Where the Sun Don't Shine. Mike DeForest of WKMG Orlando: "In a move criticized by advocates of Florida's open government laws, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ staff intervened in a public records request related to a former appointee who is reportedly connected to a federal sex trafficking investigation, documents obtained by News 6 show. The governor's secondary 'review' of state spending records delayed the release of those documents for more than two months, records confirm. That delay may have violated Florida's public records ['sunshine'] laws, according to some legal experts familiar with the matter. News 6 submitted a public records request last year seeking spending reports from Halsey Beshears, the former head of Florida's business licensing agency. According to Politico, Beshears and Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz were named in a grand jury subpoena related to an ongoing federal sex trafficking investigation.... According to Politico, Beshears traveled to the Bahamas with Gaetz in September 2018, just months before Beshears was named DBPR secretary. At the time, Beshears was serving in the Florida legislature. That Bahamas trip has been scrutinized by federal investigators as part of its probe into possible sex trafficking, according to CBS News."
Maryland. Azi Paybarah of the New York Times: "Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland on Monday signed into law a new congressional map drawn by Democrats, a little more than a week after a judge called their previous effort an 'extreme gerrymander' and threw it out. Mr. Hogan, a Republican, agreed to approve the maps after Democrats dropped their appeal of the judge's ruling. He described the deal as 'a tremendous victory for democracy and for free and fair elections in Maryland' and said the new map was 'a huge improvement' over the original one. The new map will most likely result in a congressional delegation that will look a lot like the current one." An AP story is here.
New York. Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "A New York appellate judge on Monday hit the brakes on a sweeping lower-court decision that invalidated newly drawn legislative districts favorable to Democrats and threatened to throw the state's election season into turmoil. Justice Stephen K. Lindley of New York's Fourth Appellate Department in Rochester issued the temporary stay after state Democratic leaders formally contested the lower court's opinion last week that the maps were unconstitutional and, in some cases, gerrymandered for partisan gain. He did not address the merits of the case but indicated that he hoped to expedite his own ruling on whether the lines were constitutional."
Way Beyond
Sudan. Marlise Simons of the New York Times: "A brutal campaign against a rebellion in Western Sudan displaced millions and left the world aghast. Two decades later, the first and only war crimes trial has gotten underway.... On Tuesday..., [a man named Ali Kushayb] went on trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where he is charged with 32 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including persecution, pillaging, murder and rape, all of which he denies. Mr. Kushayb is the first suspect to be tried on charges of playing a major role in the bloody campaign that took more than 200,000 lives and drove more than two million people from their homes. His lawyer has said the court has the wrong Kushayb. But prosecutors say they have evidence that the man on trial is the same one who was indicted in 2007 for his role in more than 300 murders and the expulsion of some 40,000 civilians in 2003 and 2004."
News Lede
Guardian: "Police in the California state capital [Sacramento] have made an arrest in connection with Sunday's mass shooting that left six people dead and at least a dozen others injured. In the hours after the bloodshed, police say they have received more than 100 videos or photos from the scene and executed search warrants on three homes."
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Reader Comments (12)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/04/republicans-embrace-trumps-approach-using-power-bully-opponents/
Fascism, anyone?
Donald! Again?
It’s beginning to look like the only business Fatty hasn’t completely failed at is the one handed him by his daddy.
Just look at the list: Trump Air, augered in. Trump Steak, burnt. Trump vodka, overpriced pelican piss. Trump Hotels, $795 a night for an army cot and no mint. Trump University, Romper Room for suckers. Trump Resorts, no extra charge for the bed bugs. Trump casinos, snake eyes. Trump Water, yellow, with little things floating around in it. Trump Model Management, mismanaged and, oops, illegal. Trump Mortgage, repossessed by the bank. Trump Magazine, check the recycled paper bin.
In fact nearly all his businesses were either busts, bankruptcies, bullshit scams, or or criminally fraudulent.
And the Trump Presidency*? A cluster fuck of historic proportions, rife with incompetence, grifters, nepotism, bigotry, pocket padding, and out and out stupidity.
So this latest failure is par for the course. Plus, hiring a sycophantic simpleton to run your “media empire” you hope will crush Twitter is a business decision right up there with handing your life savings over to Bernie Madoff.
A place of dishonor awaits this fat fuck in the Loser Pantheon.
Entry here from your in- residence plagiarist: *
As though we don't have enough horrors going on right now one Antonio Sherrodd McGarity, while on a Southwest Airlines decided it would be great fun to masturbate multiple times while sitting next to a woman who actually took pictures of him in the act and then reported it. The kicker is this dolt saw nothing amiss in this, said he thought, "it was kind of kinky" And yes, he was arrested.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/antonio-sherrodd-mcgarity-masturbation-southwest-airlines_n_624b6d1de4b007d38459de11
Is it the sign of the times that this kind of thing would occur? The more we learn the more it looks like that center is not holding and things are falling apart or as Ken asked–-"Fascism anyone?" So many jerks jerking us around while we take pictures and cry havoc to such little avail.
*I want to thank Jeanne for her comment to me on Sunday–-it meant a lot.
@PD Pepe: Maybe the sign of the times is not that the guy was masturbating in plain sight, but that the woman sitting next to Master Bater took pictures of his little performance. Up until ten years ago, most travelers, even those going on vacation, would not have had a small camera (i.e., cell phone) handy (no pun intended) enough to quickly take a photo, and up until maybe 20 years ago, only some women would have reported the guy in flagrante delicto. #MeToo
(Many decades ago, I did report a guy who was following me around a shopping mall, masturbating all the time (he, not I), but even then, I was embarrassed to report what he was doing and might not have done so if my young children had not been at the mall with me (tho in a different store). I did not want to meet up with them while the guy with his dick hanging out was still tailing me.)
DeSantis v Disney: go along with our bigotry and no complaining, or else we’ll destroy your business and shut you down. This “stay out of politics, or else” warning is, you’ll notice, never directed to anyone on the side of bigotry or treason. Funny how that works, innit?
Marie: I haven't seen any commentary from you regarding this point of view:
https://consortiumnews.com/2022/04/04/questions-abound-about-bucha-massacre/
https://consortiumnews.com/2022/04/05/patrick-lawrence-the-us-bubble-of-pretend/
Curious what you and/or your readers think.
Jifster
I don't know what to think of the articles you posted. Have seen "independent" confirmation of some of the Bucha atrocities but obviously have no first-hand information or knowledge.
Do remember, though, the Russian social media blitz that helped the Former Guy into the White House and am aware that Russia has said it is engaged in de-Nazification of Ukraine, not conquest.
Maybe all those butchered people in Bucha were Nazis, but as I said, I don't know.
Do you?
Jifster:
Lying about the realities of war is universal. I once met a man who was clearly cognitively impaired, but had served in the European theater all through the worst of combat there. His job, after his head injury, was to go out at night with a cart and to pick up as many dead Americans as he could, and to rearrange the ones still on the ground into positions that would not be too disgusting for the public. This is what the press took photos of the following morning. This is what we know today, and swear is real.
Why believe that either or any side is able to convey truth? Ukrainian Nazis? Oh, please.
Jifster,
Consortium News was created by Robert Parry, a serious journalist. I doubt he’d be happy with pieces that demanded truth from others but neglected to provide confirmation for claims from his own guys.
If you’ve been reading RC for any time, you know that many of us have taken umbrage at positions maintained by a number of NYTimes reporters, especially those proffering a “both sides” narrative, but claims that a major news outlet is “government controlled” requires, especially with no obvious or clear examples of such control, evidence more compelling than “because I say so”. Take Fox, for instance. A couple of hours of any Fox newscast/opinion programming provides ample evidence of bias toward one side.
The same with stating that the Ukrainian government is shot through and through with Nazis. You simply can’t make such a claim without providing evidence more believable than “because Putin sez so”.
So when I encounter two incredible claims within the first 100 words of a piece purporting to be an antidote to lies and propaganda, without offering something more than “I toldja so” as “proof”, my response is typically something along the lines of “Bull-shit”.
Your guys might be 100% correct, but sans any real evidence or even a halfway compelling argument, I’m off to the sports section.
Victoria is absolutely correct. The fog of war can often be impenetrable. But when you have thousands and thousands of credible reports about Russian war crimes and…three or four claims about Ukrainian Nazis (except those from Putin hacks), I’m not convinced.
Marie is no “go along to get along” hack. She reprints plenty of stuff that shines a bad light on both sides. If there was convincing evidence that Zelensky was Hitlering it up, she’d have it in black and white.
Nuff said.
Akhilleus,
As I wished I'd said. Thanks.
The see-through thin of those "reports" was to me a near-certain "tell," and should have been to jifster.
Victoria,
Moving bodies has a long tradition in battlefield photography. Civil War photographer Alexander Gardner seems to have moved bodies, propped up heads and limbs, and even added weapons to make his shots more affecting. Staged photographs are still a big part of PR stunts designed to improve the image of the photos’ subjects. Trump had protesters gassed so that he could stand in front of a church in DC holding a Bible (upside down) to demonstrate his Jesus-ness in phony theatrical photos.
So Princess Ivanka decides not to follow the Trump Crime Family custom of pleading the fifth, huh?
Guess that means wall to wall lies. And/or plenty of “I don’t recalls”.
Prob’ly not many “You mean that’s illegal?” type responses.