Here’s an idea! Let’s turn America’s nukes over to a bad-tempered asshole with no knowledge of foreign policy. What could go wrong?
— Stephen King
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Donald Trump’s praise of dictators sends red flags waving all over. Vladimir Putin of Russia, Kim Jong Un of North Korea, Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, and Saddam Hussein of Iraq have all been praised by Trump.
In particular, Trump’s admiration of Putin is upsetting and vile. During NBC’s “Commander-in-Chief” forum on September 14, 2015, the Republican nominee said, “Certainly in that system, (Vladimir Putin’s) been a leader far more than our president has been a leader.”
The New York Times even called the weird “man crush” that Trump has on Putin “a long distance bromance” last December.
Trump said he thinks he’ll get along with Putin after the Russian leader said that Trump was “very colorful” and “talented”.
Well, Uncle Sam isn’t all that enamored by this love affair. The latest: U.S. intelligence officials are examining Carter Page, a foreign policy advisor to Trump, and some Russian officials close to Putin -- including a Kremlin official believed to be involved in Russian attempts to influence U.S. elections, Michael Isikoff, has been reported as saying Friday (Sept. 16) for Yahoo News: “The report is based intelligence and congressional sources, who had knowledge of the intelligence officials' briefings with lawmakers. An unnamed U.S. intelligence source did not dispute the assertion that Page's communications with the Russian figures were being investigated when asked about it by Yahoo News,” writes Tierney Sneed on TPM Livewire on Friday, Sept. 23.
“`It’s on our radar screen,’ the official told Yahoo News. `It’s being looked at.’" TPM Livewire reports.
“Intelligence officials are looking into whether Page has engaged in private communications with top Kremlin figures, the Yahoo News report said, which could be seen as an attempt to undermine the U.S.'s official posture towards Russia. Page is known for advocating for the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Russia, which years ago attracted attention from officials in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Yahoo News said,” according to the TPM Livewire account.
*****
The cynic and pessimist in me can’t help but wonder if this Trump character is elected, will Vladimir Putin be running both the Russian and American governments? Trump is way out of his league here. He has no concept on how to run the federal government, at least in a role of U.S. President. — He will surely be looking for support. Instead of calling on other Republican leaders in U.S. Congress, it would not be beyond Trump’s character to use as a top advisor, perhaps even a trusted confidante, “Advisor Putin”.
Rob Glaser, one of the top left-of-center campaign donors in America, gained a fortune as an early employee at Microsoft and then as founder of RealNetworks, Glaser has backed the Democracy Alliance and was a financial supporter during Barack Obama’s early political career. These days, Glaser funds a website called PutinTrump, which highlights the connections between “The Donald” and Russia’s authoritarian president.
Just launched September 21, PutinTrump pulls no punches when it comes down to the dangers of this Trump-Putin political love affair. A teaser now at the top of this website says: “As the U.S. presidential election enters the home stretch, we see overwhelming evidence that a Donald Trump presidency would put U.S. national security interests at risk. Trump’s cozy relationship and lavish praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump’s criticism of the historic U.S. alliance with NATO partners, his invitation to Russian hackers to meddle in the presidential election, and his campaign staff’s financial ties to pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine all pose a danger to America’s vital national interests.”
“Through Election Day, www.putintrump.org will analyze and raise awareness on this critical set of issues. Our goal is to be the Web’s most rigorous and thorough source for news and information on the dangerous Putin-Trump connection,” PutinTrump suggests.
The PutinTrump webpage is impressive and should prove to be a valuable informational source for any journalist, or even an avid political junkie who wants to keep abreast of what’s really happening in our political world.
Just going online a few days ago, some compelling stories are showcased on the homepage, including: “Trump’s Ties To Russia: What We’ve Learned”, “The Real Power of Putin: A Study of the Strongman”, “The Dangers of Putin-Trump: An Abundance of Evidence”, and “Follow the Money from Russia to Trump”.
In “The Real Power of Putin: A Study of the Strongman”, published Sept. 23, the article reads: “Trump is clearly drawn to Putin’s authoritarian style and his 82 percent approval rating – a rating that the New York Times points out is inflated because many of Putin’s opponents have been exiled, imprisoned or in some cases even killed. So, it’s worth taking a closer look at Putin’s Russia.”
This article gives some insight on what University of Pennsylvania professor Benjamin Nathans sees as the admiration between Trump and Putin being secondary to a much more urgent and pressing dilemma: “More significant—and more alarming—than any mutual flattery between the two autocratic figures, however, have been the financial ties between the Trump camp and a range of Putin’s allies. Paul Manafort, who resigned as Trump’s campaign manager on August 19, previously sold his services to Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukrainian leader whose ousting in February 2014 led to Putin’s annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine, as well as to Oleg Deripaska, a billionaire aluminum magnate and Putin confidante who was banned from entering the United States. Carter Page, one of Trump’s foreign policy advisors, formerly worked for Russia’s state-owned energy company Gazprom. Trump himself, after his hotel and casino business went bankrupt in 2004, benefited significantly from infusions of capital that originated with Russian oligarchs.”
Although some may see this opinion (mixed with some hard-copy journalism from a few chosen reputable and leading sources) as an attack on Vladimir Putin, it really isn’t meant to be. Russia is used to having a dictator in charge and the people there seem to like things this way. To be simplistic, a democratic government was tried there and it just didn’t work out. Many Russians see Putin as a man who saved their country from demise and destitution and some reports even claim there is a higher quality of life under Putin, as compared to the time immediately before he took power, then took power again. Although this may be incorrect and stilted as mere propaganda, just for simplicity sake, I’ll just say that Putin may be doing okay in Russia. But do we want him running the show here? He’s a popular leader in Russia. But will a dictatorship work for America? Nope. No how, no way.
If we allow this man to take power, this Trump buffoon, he may just see that the militarized state will switch gears to an overdrive of martial law. This arrogant, brazen, blowhard of a fool, this Trump character, will find himself over his head with so many domestic problems that what is going on in Atlanta and Charlotte right now will become a constant state of anarchy in the USA, as Trump finds himself totally overwhelmed with the responsibilities of being a U.S. President. Of course, the Separation of Powers limits a President from running roughshod in such a manner, but dictators have a way of bending things their own way.
Furthermore, “Let’s Make America Great Again” should actually be “Let’s America Hate Again,” which is more the case of what this numbskull know-it-all has been doing all along in this campaign-from-hell he’s been managing.
Already, the political landscape in America has changed drastically. There is a lot of fear, phobia, even paranoia going on in the USA now. And we can thank “The Donald” and his antics and horrible comments for the crux of it all. He’s been a divisive racist who has preyed upon the fears of an American public in such a way that it’s egregiously horrid. And he’s done it in such a overt fashion that many Americans are watching him tear apart the American fabric in wide-eyed amazement.
If Trump is elected, I predict that anarchy won’t be limited to just a few cities, especially a few years into a Trump presidency. The demonstrations that are now peaceful in Atlanta and Charlotte will not be peaceful under Trump. He will use strong-arm tactics to control the masses, the masses will retaliate, and as you walk down the street to get a hamburger and fries for lunch, just dodge that Molotov cocktail heading your way! Make sure you dodge it or you’ll be bathed in a fire of burning gasoline!
Trump’s biggest problem will be that he’s an amateur. This know-it-all, who claims he’s earned the right to become our President because he’s a billionaire (actually, a fat-cat casino gangster who was born a super-wealthy infant) will become more and more desperate as his Presidential term struggles on — and Trump will surely resort to totalitarian tactics to try to maintain some semblance of law and order. Our citizenry, meanwhile, will refuse this type of government and will fight back. Even retaliate with violence.
*****
Does Donald Trump have the education and experience necessary to become a U.S. President? Well, he’s not a lawyer and although it isn’t a requisite that a President be an attorney, it certainly helps. Hillary Clinton is a lawyer. Ivy School educated and well versed in federal and Constitutional Law. And despite what many think of her role as Secretary of State, she has plenty of experience in foreign affairs. Trump has no experience. And many of his comments concerning legal matters makes me believe he knows little, if anything, about Constitutional Law. And his overall rabid and mean-spirited nature would surely make him a horrid world affairs ambassador.
Let’s look at it this way: There are a number of hospitals and medical centers in the city in which I call home. Let’s say that on Monday I just venture into one of these facilities and tell them that I want to perform a surgery. Let’s just say I happen to venture into a cardio unit and tell the medical staff there that I would like to perform an open heart surgery. They can cut me a hefty check for the procedure after all is said and done with.
They’ll most likely ask for my credentials (what college or university granted me my bachelor’s, what medical school I graduated from, where I interned, and with which staff of doctors — who are now my colleagues and business partners — I am now in business with — well, the Cardio nurses and staff will most likely call up to the psychiatric floor and ask a psychiatrist there to come down to the cardio unit, at once, and give “this nut” a thorough psychiatric run-down.
“Well, I don’t have an M.D. Degree, and I’ve never really had any experience in heart surgery, but I have a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in English from an accredited state university. I worked full-time for daily newspapers and business journals for over two decades as a reporter and editor! I even taught at a slew of colleges and universities as an English teacher. My God, man, I even had a full-time gig for a time. — it was a non-tenured tract, but it was full-time, ladies and gentlemen! Sadly, that job really didn’t work out, but I really did work for about a decade as an adjunct English Professor. That means that I served at the ‘discretion’ of the full-time faculty. So get me that operating room and do it right now!” — I will bark in protest, thinking this will get me into scrubs and be a winning ticket to secure an operating room. And there, I will perform an open heart surgery on some poor living victim, soon to become a corpse, by a sharp scalpel I will wield.
This isn’t to say that a medical doctor cannot make a true mark as a journalist, however. Many have. Not only have some written articles for commercial magazines, some have written a number of books. Daily Kos is lucky to have some medical doctors as our own writers and members; and some of them are on top of our writers board, with a heapin’ helpin’ bit of mojo behind their work — all in journalistic style.
Sad to say, my own trade of choice does not have all the technical knowledge and experience as it takes to diagnose and maintain a human body. And as far as being a political leader? Well, speaking for myself, I know that I would struggle with the challenges and tribulations that a township trustee of a rural area would face — my own emotional make-up, organizational skills, and especially, my “people person” skills would probably make me the most hated man in that particular vicinity. — I guess at least I know this and that makes me mostly harmless.
*****
Many claim Trump’s “an outsider” and is not aligned to any big business concern. “He’ll be his own man! He’ll do things the way things are meant to be done, with no political ties! “— they say. I must have heard this line a thousand times since last fall.
And they’ll also be sure to squawk that Trump’s “a maverick who does and says what he feels”, because he’s not attached to any special interests. Well, isn’t the guy down at the corner bar who’s really lit up by now the same sort of guy? And I hate to bring a bad news omen here, but isn’t Donald Trump a Vladimir Putin man? Can’t you call this a “political connection”?
In my humble opinion, this Trump-Putin “bromance” is about seven notches closer to literal hell-on-earth than a Presidential hopeful being a Koch Brothers man, although there might be some who disagree here. Hey, at least David and Charlie are all about capitalism — their form of capitalism — and they’re far from being communists. Nope, they’re on the other end of the specter — they’re Libertarians.
Listen, it’s very strange that a Presidential candidate will have so many good things to say about so many leaders of totalitarian regimes; and although Putin may be loved in his country, and he might even have done a lot of good things in Russia, Trump has praised authoritarian leaders who are genocidal maniacs.
As Trump finds himself with more opposition, less support, and really gets bogged down in the problems and challenges that face a world super-power, he will resort to many of the same tactics to maintain what he will see as “control measures” to maintain law and order. But he won’t maintain order. The American citizenry will never accept this form of governing because this is totally foreign to our political system, our way of life, our way of doing things. And total anarchy will result — from sea to shining sea.
Perhaps even more startling than “The Donald’s” man crush on Putin is Trump’s praise of North Korean genocidal dictator Kim Jong Un. "You gotta give him credit," Trump said of Kim Jong Un in January. "How many young guys — he was, like, 26 or 25 when his father died — take over these tough generals, and all of a sudden ... he goes in, he takes over, and he's the boss," Trump said.
"It's incredible. He wiped out the uncle, he wiped out this one, that one. I mean, this guy doesn't play games. And we can't play games with him."
Oh really? Already, we’re seeing Trump’s overbearing and condescending attitude concerning our own military and its top leaders. This is another dynamic that all totalitarian tyrants take on, and Trump’s fitting the suit already.
It’s clear that Trump has no respect for our own military leaders, claiming he knows more about military science and military affairs than our own admirals and generals do — and he’s even made the outrageous insult that U.S .Sen. John McCain of Arizona was no "war hero ‘ because as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, McCain’s plane was shot down and he became a POW for five years or so.
“He’s no war hero. I like war heroes who weren’t captured,” this miserable, braggadocios buffoon had the audacity to say.
Well, I’m not crazy about Sen. McCain and have written some scathing articles on him as a U.S. Senator, but believe me, if I played the old “switcheroo” and I was voting in a Republican Primary and only McCain and Trump were on the ballot, the real war hero, the man who came from a long lineage of U.S. Navy admirals — not the wannabe who will surely, in time, have some sort of military outfit made for himself with every combat medal (which he never earned because he never was in the service) tacked onto the ridiculous garb - John McCain would surely get my vote. Yes, Sen. John McCain is very capable and experienced enough to run a federal government as a U.S. President. And although he’d most likely do many things that I’d find despicable and deplorable, I have no doubt that at least Sen. McCain would act within the confines of the U.S. Constitution. He’s been in Congress for what seems like forever and he knows the ins and outs of being a federal leader. Trump’s in way over his head and is a true amateur.
The “You’re fired” guy is way over his head. Being a U.S. President is not an entry level position and Sen. McCain has paid his dues. This poser, this fraud, this Trump character, is a marchbanks. A fraud. A real loser.
Although Hillary Clinton got some flack for praising George W. Bush, saying: “I publicly say `thank you’ to President George Bush,” after Clinton shared the story of her and New York Sen. Charles E. Schumer lobbying for $20 billion to help rebuild New York in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.
“(George W. Bush) asked us what we needed. … We said, ‘We need $20 billion.' He said, ‘You got it.’ Despite intense Republican pressure to back down, he never did,” Clinton said of Bush.
But Trump did much worse than Clinton, he publicly praised Saddam Hussein, saying that the former Iraqi dictator was not a good man but said that his work, which some considered genocide, was effective. What?! Effective?! Is Trump going to bring Saddam’s charming style of murdering the masses to the USA? This is surely a harbinger of what might just become a reality if this deranged and delusional misfit takes power in America.
‘Open up Operation Cable Splicer and Operation Garden Plot! Those old bus stations have been vacant for far too long! They’re well-equipped to become concentration camps and that’s just how I roll! Let’s fill them up with all the “human insects” who I consider to be unworthy and dangerous!” will be something he’d most likely scream.
"We shouldn't have been there,” Trump said while on the campaign trail. “We shouldn't have destabilized Saddam Hussein, right. He was a bad guy, really bad guy. But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good. They didn't read them the rights. They didn't talk. They were terrorists. Over. Today, Iraq is Harvard for terrorism. You want to be a terrorist, you go to Iraq. It's like Harvard, OK? So sad, so sad."
Wow! It’s a wonder this werewolf nutcase even has five supporters in America!
And although Trump has made it clear he hates all Moslem people — no, I’m not pulling any punches here — Trump’s a true racist of the first water - he certainly has made heroes out of a few of their most heinous and despicable leaders.
Trump said during the CNN-Telemundo Republican candidates' debate in February that while Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar Gaddafi was "really bad," his tactics “were effective”.
"We would be so much better off if Gaddafi were in charge right now. If these politicians went to the beach and didn't do a thing and we had Saddam Hussein and if we had Gadhafi in charge, instead of having terrorism all over the place, we'd be — at least they killed terrorists, all right? And I'm not saying they were good, because they were bad, they were really bad, but we don't know what we're getting," he said.
I wonder if Donald Trump considers the current protests in Charlotte and Atlanta to be filled with “terrorists”. This terrible man probably does. It fits in with his overall psychological make-up. And although it can be said that these protests are being countered by somewhat of a “militarized police force”, under Trump these protesters would probably not even be met with policemen calmly standing guard to squash any trouble-making and bedlam. He would actually counter such threats with the military — the cavalry and infantry, along with a whole division of Marines, possibly even Navy SEALS, if the military didn’t side against him by then — and his solution? Shoot first, ask questions to the corpses in the morgue.
Of course, I’m using some hyperbole here, and a bit of satirical wise-guy talk, but I consider Trump to be a blight on the American political landscape. He’s turned out to be a vicious hothead, a loose cannon, someone who has no business seeking any type of federal office. He’s been an entitled monster throughout his life and all I can say is if America votes this guy into the Oval Office, expect a lot of “bad gunky” as one of my favorite fiction writers says in his books from time to time….
*****
So you think this is just a rant? Some rave by a crazy writer? Well, my friend, just look at who Trump has chosen as the leaders that he admires and intends to emulate if he becomes our 45th President. You don't see red flags? These leaders would have no problem committing genocide. In fact, some of them already have! And being that Trump is in the political bed with a leader who’s predecessor said, “One death is a tragedy, a million is but a statistic” I stand by my words here on Daily Kos. Believe me, I have tons of other things to do right now but I have decided to prioritize my “Trump Patrol” activities to such a level that I’ll drop everything else to hit this lame-brained lunatic over the head every opportunity I get.
Trump has also said a lot of disparaging and maligning things concerning Syrian refugees, almost condemning one and all of being “potential terrorists” if allowed on our shores. Yet, he sure has a lot of praise for Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian tyrant who is responsible for the mass exodus from Syria: "I think in terms of leadership, he's getting an `A’ and our president is not doing so well," Trump said of al-Assad during an interview with Fox News last September. And although Trump later modified his apparent views on this genocidal tyrant, anyone who doesn’t see this as equivocating, political back-sliding needs to go back to elementary school.
In closing, just suffice it to say that any U.S. Presidential candidate who has said so many wonderful things about some of the world’s most terrible and murderous political thugs is not fit, emotionally, spiritually, or politically, to be our 45th top leader.
Trump’s a loser, a true misanthrope, and among a litany of other things, is just a rotten guy. And his way of “Making America Great Again” will be creating things like martial law, concentration camps, and other nefarious things used to maintain law and order in totalitarian regimes. Being a U.S. President, as I’ve already said, is not an entry level position. If Trump is elected, he will find himself backed into a corner and will most likely use the tactics and torturous devices and means used by the leaders he emulates the most — true dictators.
And Stephen King may even be right on the mark. Trump might even use nuclear weapons to settle some score with another nation.
In my opinion, the responsibilities and hurdles that any of our latest Presidents have faced is a lot tougher and needs even more know-how and experience than even being a surgeon. At least Hillary Clinton has 40-or-so years of public service behind her, and most of it comes at the federal level, too. And Barack Obama might have been a little light on the experience side when he entered the Oval Office almost eight years ago, but Obama’s personality made him a teachable student, and he listened to his advisors. Trump, on the other hand, is an incorrigible know-it-all, is an unteachable jerk, and he’s one of those “My Way or the Highway” creatures.
Hey, if “The Donald” is elected in November, I’ll save you a spot in Operation Cable Splicer. I promise. I’ll surely be one of the first tenants there. And if you could, please snuggle me in a bologna sandwich. I’ll most likely be the shivering, emaciated mess sitting on what was once a bus stop bench way over in the corner.
Hey, can you make it three of those Burger King Classic Grilled Dogs instead? I love those things, and after not having anything to eat for weeks, they’ll most likely taste like Filet Mignon.