General Trump hilarity free-for-all thread

[Cain]

They did aggressively put down that Russian sponsored coup attempt.  Could have at least allowed them to kill half the government before responding.

[Doktor Howl]

Yeah, I was just reading about that.

https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-russian-military-spies-backed-attempt-assassinate-leader-montenegro-1007324

[Doktor Howl]

Mueller needs help.

[Cain]

Yeah, I was just reading about that.

https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-russian-military-spies-backed-attempt-assassinate-leader-montenegro-1007324

Did you read about a similar operation involving a Russian businessman mobilising the Macedonian and Greek far-right against the name change for Macedonia?  Because that was recently uncovered and is superficially quite similar.  Greek butthurt over the Macedonian state's name is literally the only thing preventing Macedonia from joining NATO, getting involved in EU talks...and so of course, Russia loves the butthurt and wants to encourage it as much as possible.  Including through backing far-right paramilitaries to threaten people in favour of the deal.

[Doktor Howl]

Yeah, I was just reading about that.

https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-russian-military-spies-backed-attempt-assassinate-leader-montenegro-1007324

Did you read about a similar operation involving a Russian businessman mobilising the Macedonian and Greek far-right against the name change for Macedonia?  Because that was recently uncovered and is superficially quite similar.  Greek butthurt over the Macedonian state's name is literally the only thing preventing Macedonia from joining NATO, getting involved in EU talks...and so of course, Russia loves the butthurt and wants to encourage it as much as possible.  Including through backing far-right paramilitaries to threaten people in favour of the deal.

How come everyone keeps thinking that sticking their dicks in the Balkans is a way to dominance?

[tyrannosaurus vex]

I feel like Russia has stumbled across the formula for the domestic policy equivalent of the Brown Note, like they've discovered a zero-day exploit for human nature itself, and there really isn't anything we can do about it because our source code was, through some evolutionary fluke, designed specifically to allow this sort of thing.

What's more, I'm not even mad at Russia. I'm mostly just sad we didn't get there first, especially since the CIA spent so many decades almost getting there.

[Cain]

Yeah, I was just reading about that.

https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-russian-military-spies-backed-attempt-assassinate-leader-montenegro-1007324

Did you read about a similar operation involving a Russian businessman mobilising the Macedonian and Greek far-right against the name change for Macedonia?  Because that was recently uncovered and is superficially quite similar.  Greek butthurt over the Macedonian state's name is literally the only thing preventing Macedonia from joining NATO, getting involved in EU talks...and so of course, Russia loves the butthurt and wants to encourage it as much as possible.  Including through backing far-right paramilitaries to threaten people in favour of the deal.

How come everyone keeps thinking that sticking their dicks in the Balkans is a way to dominance?

The EU, perhaps surprisingly, is the only one making actual headway there, and it's doing it by treading softly and relying on access to European markets to drive the Balkan states towards modernisation, weeding out corruption and improving regulations.

It's...not working out so great, but on the downisde, no-one is angry at the EU for simply existing, barring the Brexit gang.

[Doktor Howl]

Yeah, I was just reading about that.

https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-russian-military-spies-backed-attempt-assassinate-leader-montenegro-1007324

Did you read about a similar operation involving a Russian businessman mobilising the Macedonian and Greek far-right against the name change for Macedonia?  Because that was recently uncovered and is superficially quite similar.  Greek butthurt over the Macedonian state's name is literally the only thing preventing Macedonia from joining NATO, getting involved in EU talks...and so of course, Russia loves the butthurt and wants to encourage it as much as possible.  Including through backing far-right paramilitaries to threaten people in favour of the deal.

How come everyone keeps thinking that sticking their dicks in the Balkans is a way to dominance?

The EU, perhaps surprisingly, is the only one making actual headway there, and it's doing it by treading softly and relying on access to European markets to drive the Balkan states towards modernisation, weeding out corruption and improving regulations.

It's...not working out so great, but on the downisde, no-one is angry at the EU for simply existing, barring the Brexit gang.

No, I mean "why does it seem reasonable - every time someone gets a case of the ass - to fuck around in the Balkans?"

There has NEVER been anything to win there, and it always ends in a big messy war.

[Doktor Howl]

I feel like Russia has stumbled across the formula for the domestic policy equivalent of the Brown Note, like they've discovered a zero-day exploit for human nature itself, and there really isn't anything we can do about it because our source code was, through some evolutionary fluke, designed specifically to allow this sort of thing.

What's more, I'm not even mad at Russia. I'm mostly just sad we didn't get there first, especially since the CIA spent so many decades almost getting there.

The CIA was of course handicapped by the national John Wayne complex.

[Brother Mythos]

White House says Trump to discuss allowing Russia to question US citizens

As per the article:

'White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that President Trump will discuss allowing Russian investigators to come to the United States to question U.S. citizens, including a former American ambassador to Russia.

Sanders said during a White House press briefing that Trump is "gonna meet with his team" to talk about the potential for Russian officials to question U.S. citizens like Michael McFaul, who was ambassador to Russia from January 2012 to February 2014.

"There was some conversation about it, but there wasn't a commitment made on behalf of the United States," Sanders said. "The president will work with his team and we'll let you know if there's an announcement on that front."'

Here's the link: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/397701-white-house-trump-open-to-russia-questioning-us-citizens

treachery

n., pl. -er•ies.

1. violation of faith; betrayal of trust.
2. an act of perfidy, faithlessness, or treason.

[Cain]

If they try and hand McFaul over to the Russians, I think you'll see the first defection of a (former) US ambassador.  He'll be in Canada or New Zealand or Germany before you can say "what the fuck" and he won't come back.

It would be incredibly stupid....but McFaul has also been incredibly critical of Trump, who we all know is an emotional man-child driven by petty emotions and a need for revenge. 

[axod]

I feel like Russia has stumbled across the formula for the domestic policy equivalent of the Brown Note, like they've discovered a zero-day exploit for human nature itself, and there really isn't anything we can do about it because our source code was, through some evolutionary fluke, designed specifically to allow this sort of thing.

What's more, I'm not even mad at Russia. I'm mostly just sad we didn't get there first, especially since the CIA spent so many decades almost getting there.

The CIA was of course handicapped by the national John Wayne complex.

Under protest, I am now forced to watch the last episode of this season's West World. You lot!

[LMNO]

I don't know how legit this is, or how serious it is, but it FEELS really important...

The Macedonian fake news cottage industry, which flourished by churning out pro-Trump clickbait in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, was not established by apolitical teens and young men just looking to make a quick buck, as initial reports in 2016 suggested.

Instead, these adolescents were simply following a trend launched by a Macedonian media attorney who worked extensively with two prominent American conservatives for at least six months during the election season. 

Before his operation fell under the ax... Arsov worked closely with Paris Wade, currently a Republican candidate for the Nevada State Assembly, and Ben Goldman, a conservative writer and publisher.

[Cain]

It's pretty important.  And yes, whoever did those initial investigations really dropped the fucking ball, so props to Buzzfeed and OCCRP for following them up.

Interesting that Anna Bogacheva was there in 2015, too.

[LMNO]

I constantly have to remind myself that Buzzfeed is kind of a trusted news source, these days.