While closely following the events unfolding in Ukraine yesterday (Sunday), I ran across responses from Russian media (as reported in western media) that it was all fake and staged provocations. My immediate thought was "interesting, this reads likes a gop statement" on just about anything. Dishonest, containing mischaracterizations and outright lies.
Corporations can no longer count on Republicans to only lower taxes and eliminate regulations. In today's version of the GOP, they definitely want you to do them a favor, and it is not just political contribution. They require total submission at their every whim. Any companies stepping out of line will be fair game at the receiving end of punitive measures. While the Left tends to shout you down and stage boycotts, it is much more terrifying to have the weight of the government against you.
Sarah Palin running for Congress would have made logical sense after her terms as Governor. I am sure she would have completed her gubernatorial career in Alaska had she not been catapulted to a higher level of incompetence by political operatives desperate for an election "game changer."
So in a sense she is politically picking up where she left off.
The political handlers created her and though she helped lose the election for John McCain her rocket to stardom was a great success. She was the John the Baptist to the Donald Trump Christ. The through line of crazy runs directly from her, to the TEAParty, to the birthers to Donald Trump, to the Big Lie. And it should be remembered that a number of the strongest opponents to Trump and Trumpism were the midwives of Sarah Palin's political career.
She is right to perceive that the miscreants of the current Congress and much of the GOP are her children and should take her rightful place at the table with them.
Hey Charlie (and Tim). I really have to push back on the whole "Biden lied about the laptop (and the media suppressed the story)" narrative. Please feel free to correct if I'm getting anything wrong.
Firstly, Joe Biden's statements regarding the laptop were made, as Tim acknowledged, *during the campaign*. If those statements were being made now that Biden has access to Justice Department information, then I'd agree that he was lying.
But there's no reason to think that Joe Biden would be able to authenticate Hunter Biden's emails any better than anyone else - especially if Joe really did keep his distance from Hunter's business dealings and Hunter wasn't completely honest with his Dad. We don't know this to be the case, of course, but it's certainly no stretch to imagine that Hunter wouldn't be entirely forthcoming, or at the very least would be willing to feign the same ignorance that he did with the general public regarding the laptop.
Also, recall that the notion of Russian disinformation wasn't something Joe Biden pulled out of the back of his khakis. Remember that there were *50 former national security officials* who signed an open letter saying that they *suspected* Russian disinformation. Fifty! While they were careful to note in their letter that it was only a suspicion, before they transparently laid out their argument so that it could be fairly evaluated for what it was, that sort of thing is easily perceived by the general public as "50 experts say it's true, therefore it is". It is not hard to imagine someone in Joe Biden's position coming to the conclusion at the time that it was indeed Russian disinformation. Tim made the claim on Friday's podcast that anyone who evaluated it objectively or fairly would have concluded it obviously wasn't Russian disinformation. Not sure I agree, but in any case, the last person I'd expect to be able to evaluate the issue objectively and fairly would be Hunter Biden's father.
Also, with regard to the culpability of "the media", or "the MSM" as the feudal lords of the Substack like to call it, it needs to be said that *actual media outlets* (like the NYT, Wapo, and WSJ) didn't suppress this story. They reported on it for what it was - an unconfirmed report being distributed by a highly biased and partisan source in the immediate period before an election. And the source (Rudy Giuliani) actually *had been* a conduit for previous Russian disinformation about Ukraine conspiracy theories. Even the NY Post wouldn't publish it under the names of their own reporters, and Giuliani refused repeated requests by some mainstream outlets to give them access to the same hard drives he gave the Post. Nothing suspicious there. Given what happened in 2016 with Jim Comey's inadvertently instigated abundance-of-caution "scandal", which the Times embraced with relish, responsible media was quite understandably hesitant to play the dupe in another bogus Trump October surprise. So they gave it muted, yet ultimately fair, coverage. Not treating something as front page news isn't being dishonest or even unfair, especially considering the circumstances.
But wait - didn't the media actually *kill* the story? Only if you consider Twitter (and other social media outlets) to be "the media". And only if you consider an ill-fated overreaction that blew up in their face to be "killing" a story. The last time I checked, Jack Dorsey wasn't a newspaper editor or network news chief, and Twitter's forum moderators aren't journalists. They're at best amateur fact-checkers for a social media giant who, by law, is *not* a publisher and therefore *not* responsible for what gets pushed out on their platform. The fact that they've been making good faith attempts to be somewhat responsible for disinformation, and to do so in real time no less, is actually quite admirable. Mistakes are to be expected, and the fact that those mistakes are rather quickly acknowledged and corrected is hardly a cause for losing faith in "the media" - quite the opposite, in fact.
regarding this: "“Everything will be on the table, your copyright/trademark protection, your special status in certain states, and even your corporate structure itself…” can the folks who write for the Bulwark accept and perhaps atone for your enabling all of this?
AOC is nowheres near this. She is at most young and intemperate.
So... since you folks created the monster that is able to explain away Republican bullshit. We need YOU to do more. So how do we destroy FOX News? How do we reach over-weight retirees who somehow think that, despite their comforts, that the US has failed them.
Why shouldn't I root for Russia? Has Putin invaded my country? Has Putin bombed my house? Has Putin raped my wife and daughters? Has Putin tied my hands behind my back and put a bullet in my head?
Horrified by the misinformation campaign I see the Right Wing of American politics waging. This is another area where Atty General Garland can make a difference. We need all top officials in @JoeBiden's Administration to STAND UP and be vocal about what happened in the Russian attacks on Ukraine. It is not OK that the GQP are running with a fake story about the attacks against Ukraine spun by Trump and his puppet-master Putin. It is TIME to shut the disinformation campaign down! Since when are the Russians our friends? They're not!
Re: Laura Ingraham's "Everything will be on the table..." remark.
Straight from Putin's lips to hers? Or maybe it glanced off Carlson's first?
And as to Norman Raik's letter, Charlie, considering the above, you may indeed want to que that up for Corporate America and hit Send All.
BTW...Props for your response to Armen Tooloee, Christopher Rufo's coalitions manager (WTF is that, exactly? Some schmoe with an MBA in BS, perhaps?) Its historical significance is recognized and appreciated. But I might have gone with something akin to a response from more recent history involving a Ukranian sailor and a Russian war ship.
Hi Charlie, Please use whatever influence you possess to urge Biden to give all the arms Ukraine needs to defend itself against Russian genocide: jet fighters, anti aircraft systems, anti ship missiles etc. The brutal murders and rape of civilians need to be addressed with more than sanctions and Stingers!
I hear you Don Brazelton from Dallas! My husband and I walk every Sunday near a park here in Boerne, TX. Driving home, for nearly 2 years now, we passed by a house with one faded Trump flag.
Today, they have *3*. Trump 2024, etc. We had the truck flag convoy before 2020 elections. 70% here vote Republican…Chip Roy/21st district.
I voted R for years before Trump. I fear this state, this R party has gone insane. I worry about the teachers, the nurses, the public officials, the police officers who are sane and aren’t lead astray by this madness. But subject to harassment.
Oh Charlie - From this lifelong Democrat and bleeding heart liberal, thank you for the truth you always share. Your truths might not be easy to read, but I appreciate them. I watched Velshi this morning, and though I know and knew the truth of what Putin is doing to Ukraine it is hard to keep watching - and we must. And then there is Tucker Carlsen and the crazies at FOX to remind us how terribly awful the right-wing media remain. Disingenuousness is harsh, Charlie. It makes me so sad. --- Sandy, Pacifica, CA
While closely following the events unfolding in Ukraine yesterday (Sunday), I ran across responses from Russian media (as reported in western media) that it was all fake and staged provocations. My immediate thought was "interesting, this reads likes a gop statement" on just about anything. Dishonest, containing mischaracterizations and outright lies.
Yes! General McAuliffe at Bastogne.
Corporations can no longer count on Republicans to only lower taxes and eliminate regulations. In today's version of the GOP, they definitely want you to do them a favor, and it is not just political contribution. They require total submission at their every whim. Any companies stepping out of line will be fair game at the receiving end of punitive measures. While the Left tends to shout you down and stage boycotts, it is much more terrifying to have the weight of the government against you.
Sarah Palin running for Congress would have made logical sense after her terms as Governor. I am sure she would have completed her gubernatorial career in Alaska had she not been catapulted to a higher level of incompetence by political operatives desperate for an election "game changer."
So in a sense she is politically picking up where she left off.
The political handlers created her and though she helped lose the election for John McCain her rocket to stardom was a great success. She was the John the Baptist to the Donald Trump Christ. The through line of crazy runs directly from her, to the TEAParty, to the birthers to Donald Trump, to the Big Lie. And it should be remembered that a number of the strongest opponents to Trump and Trumpism were the midwives of Sarah Palin's political career.
She is right to perceive that the miscreants of the current Congress and much of the GOP are her children and should take her rightful place at the table with them.
And she will probably win.
Hey Charlie (and Tim). I really have to push back on the whole "Biden lied about the laptop (and the media suppressed the story)" narrative. Please feel free to correct if I'm getting anything wrong.
Firstly, Joe Biden's statements regarding the laptop were made, as Tim acknowledged, *during the campaign*. If those statements were being made now that Biden has access to Justice Department information, then I'd agree that he was lying.
But there's no reason to think that Joe Biden would be able to authenticate Hunter Biden's emails any better than anyone else - especially if Joe really did keep his distance from Hunter's business dealings and Hunter wasn't completely honest with his Dad. We don't know this to be the case, of course, but it's certainly no stretch to imagine that Hunter wouldn't be entirely forthcoming, or at the very least would be willing to feign the same ignorance that he did with the general public regarding the laptop.
Also, recall that the notion of Russian disinformation wasn't something Joe Biden pulled out of the back of his khakis. Remember that there were *50 former national security officials* who signed an open letter saying that they *suspected* Russian disinformation. Fifty! While they were careful to note in their letter that it was only a suspicion, before they transparently laid out their argument so that it could be fairly evaluated for what it was, that sort of thing is easily perceived by the general public as "50 experts say it's true, therefore it is". It is not hard to imagine someone in Joe Biden's position coming to the conclusion at the time that it was indeed Russian disinformation. Tim made the claim on Friday's podcast that anyone who evaluated it objectively or fairly would have concluded it obviously wasn't Russian disinformation. Not sure I agree, but in any case, the last person I'd expect to be able to evaluate the issue objectively and fairly would be Hunter Biden's father.
Also, with regard to the culpability of "the media", or "the MSM" as the feudal lords of the Substack like to call it, it needs to be said that *actual media outlets* (like the NYT, Wapo, and WSJ) didn't suppress this story. They reported on it for what it was - an unconfirmed report being distributed by a highly biased and partisan source in the immediate period before an election. And the source (Rudy Giuliani) actually *had been* a conduit for previous Russian disinformation about Ukraine conspiracy theories. Even the NY Post wouldn't publish it under the names of their own reporters, and Giuliani refused repeated requests by some mainstream outlets to give them access to the same hard drives he gave the Post. Nothing suspicious there. Given what happened in 2016 with Jim Comey's inadvertently instigated abundance-of-caution "scandal", which the Times embraced with relish, responsible media was quite understandably hesitant to play the dupe in another bogus Trump October surprise. So they gave it muted, yet ultimately fair, coverage. Not treating something as front page news isn't being dishonest or even unfair, especially considering the circumstances.
But wait - didn't the media actually *kill* the story? Only if you consider Twitter (and other social media outlets) to be "the media". And only if you consider an ill-fated overreaction that blew up in their face to be "killing" a story. The last time I checked, Jack Dorsey wasn't a newspaper editor or network news chief, and Twitter's forum moderators aren't journalists. They're at best amateur fact-checkers for a social media giant who, by law, is *not* a publisher and therefore *not* responsible for what gets pushed out on their platform. The fact that they've been making good faith attempts to be somewhat responsible for disinformation, and to do so in real time no less, is actually quite admirable. Mistakes are to be expected, and the fact that those mistakes are rather quickly acknowledged and corrected is hardly a cause for losing faith in "the media" - quite the opposite, in fact.
I have to say, when I read your comment I laughed out loud! Thank you - great response and my sentiments are exactly!
regarding this: "“Everything will be on the table, your copyright/trademark protection, your special status in certain states, and even your corporate structure itself…” can the folks who write for the Bulwark accept and perhaps atone for your enabling all of this?
AOC is nowheres near this. She is at most young and intemperate.
So... since you folks created the monster that is able to explain away Republican bullshit. We need YOU to do more. So how do we destroy FOX News? How do we reach over-weight retirees who somehow think that, despite their comforts, that the US has failed them.
Maybe one of you needs at least admit and atone.
Why shouldn't I root for Russia? Has Putin invaded my country? Has Putin bombed my house? Has Putin raped my wife and daughters? Has Putin tied my hands behind my back and put a bullet in my head?
I just want to cry but I'm too angry. The West needs to meet this crisis with planes for Ukraine. And everything else they need. The time has come.
Horrified by the misinformation campaign I see the Right Wing of American politics waging. This is another area where Atty General Garland can make a difference. We need all top officials in @JoeBiden's Administration to STAND UP and be vocal about what happened in the Russian attacks on Ukraine. It is not OK that the GQP are running with a fake story about the attacks against Ukraine spun by Trump and his puppet-master Putin. It is TIME to shut the disinformation campaign down! Since when are the Russians our friends? They're not!
Re: Laura Ingraham's "Everything will be on the table..." remark.
Straight from Putin's lips to hers? Or maybe it glanced off Carlson's first?
And as to Norman Raik's letter, Charlie, considering the above, you may indeed want to que that up for Corporate America and hit Send All.
BTW...Props for your response to Armen Tooloee, Christopher Rufo's coalitions manager (WTF is that, exactly? Some schmoe with an MBA in BS, perhaps?) Its historical significance is recognized and appreciated. But I might have gone with something akin to a response from more recent history involving a Ukranian sailor and a Russian war ship.
Hi Charlie, Please use whatever influence you possess to urge Biden to give all the arms Ukraine needs to defend itself against Russian genocide: jet fighters, anti aircraft systems, anti ship missiles etc. The brutal murders and rape of civilians need to be addressed with more than sanctions and Stingers!
I hear you Don Brazelton from Dallas! My husband and I walk every Sunday near a park here in Boerne, TX. Driving home, for nearly 2 years now, we passed by a house with one faded Trump flag.
Today, they have *3*. Trump 2024, etc. We had the truck flag convoy before 2020 elections. 70% here vote Republican…Chip Roy/21st district.
I voted R for years before Trump. I fear this state, this R party has gone insane. I worry about the teachers, the nurses, the public officials, the police officers who are sane and aren’t lead astray by this madness. But subject to harassment.
Oh Charlie - From this lifelong Democrat and bleeding heart liberal, thank you for the truth you always share. Your truths might not be easy to read, but I appreciate them. I watched Velshi this morning, and though I know and knew the truth of what Putin is doing to Ukraine it is hard to keep watching - and we must. And then there is Tucker Carlsen and the crazies at FOX to remind us how terribly awful the right-wing media remain. Disingenuousness is harsh, Charlie. It makes me so sad. --- Sandy, Pacifica, CA
They hate Big Mouse because they know they can't hurt them. It drive's them crazy.
So Putin's approval rating among Russians climbs as his butchery increases. Is this one of the triumphs of Nationalism of which Rich Lowry speaks?