I have to give credit to a series of articles recently published here at KOS for pushing me to voice some of my own long held thoughts on the Russian interference aimed at America. The warrant served at Mar-a-Lago brought things to a head. Trump is part of a long running Russian plan to help destabilize America. Putin has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams in gaining influence with/over Trump, but Trump is not a true Manchurian Candidate — he knows he has accepted help from Putin and actually admires him.
I suspect things started with Trump being chosen for “grooming” because he was a prime target to be controlled without his ever even knowing it, and was a prominent person driven by greed with no morals and possessed by pathological narcissism and bigotry. A person who fit in nicely with the crowd of wealthy Russian oligarchs behind Putin. A perfect candidate to be willingly and unknowingly compromised.
Putin played Trump like a fiddle to see what he could get out of him, but I don’t think he thought he’d ever succeed as far as he did, with Trump running and actually capturing the presidency. That’s when the possibilities for Putin escalated on a much larger scale. This was suspected and feared by U.S. intelligence likely from the very beginning, but the extent of the compromise was carefully held close to the vest and public awareness limited to Russian propaganda and alike efforts.
Common Interest is How Putin’s Interferences Operate
I believe everyone involved in Trumps inner circle and the Republican political class were aware of the Russian connections and were seeking to ride such connections into power. Others may not have been aware of just how much of a connection there was but didn’t care where support comes from. True, they were not directly controlled by Putin. That is the most sinister nature and cleverness of the plan.
Putin knows our historic weaknesses and knows that the Republicans seek power at all costs and will risk a civil war do so. Which is fine for Putin, that’s what he wants. He doesn’t pick up the phone and issue orders; he has established a common interest of sorts. Which is to help destabilize America upon which the Republicans and Trump are happy to pursue and will accept help wherever it comes from. And happy to return the favor when they can, such as Trump’s attempts to block aid to Ukraine.
Putin does not control Trump or his inner circle like was falsely told to an American T.V. audience in the 1950s by programs like “I led Three Lives,” which served as outlandish right-wing propaganda aimed at demonizing progressives during the McCarthy era. It featured planted communist agents plotting all sorts of terrorist activities and a secret FBI agent planted among the communists foiling the plots. Just like the fascist nations in the WWII era banded together to some extent, we see today a similar process, with the fascists in America seeking international allies. Trump and his closest supporters sought help from Russia, an authoritarian nation similar to what they wanted to set up here in America.
It should be recognized that whatever assistance Putin offers, the fascist movement is based and originates here in American and is independently an American form of fascism.
The Nature of Trump’s Treason
As far as Trump’s theft of classified and top-secret nuclear documents, that was more of an unexpected bonus for Putin and the most direct aspect of the compromise. And this likely was something that was only arranged by Trump after his January 6th Coup failed and may have involved indirect Putin contact through intermediaries or Russian oligarchs Trump was familiar with. And was inspired by Trump’s greed and need for billions of dollars and his election loss. That, and the failed January 6th Coup, are the motive for the worst type of treason he is now guilty of.
For that he may have had others involved. But I don’t think that was originally something that Putin had counted on. I think Trump decided when his Coup plot failed that he was going to cash in by stealing the classified documents.
Separating Fascism in America
from Trump’s Compromised Actions
I think it’s important not to overstate Putin’s influence, power and responsibility for the American fascist movement. That stems directly from the Republican Party. As far as Trump actually being directly blackmailed by Putin, Trump’s behaviors can be explained by both mutual perceived interests and by blackmail. I’m certainly not in a position to know for sure which it is. One would have to think that a direct blackmail situation would have been detected by our intelligence services and disrupted. Although his law breaking, crooked habits, infidelities and deviant sex life make him a prime candidate for being blackmailed. Perhaps perceived common interests eventually turned into blackmail over the years.
Trump’s Russian connections seem to go back a long way. I suspect he may have been considered an unknowing “agent” at first by the then Soviet Union a long time ago. They call it “conspiratorial collaboration.” You have to assume that this too may have been known to American intelligence.
Trump may have justified this (he could not have been totally unaware of this Russian motive for long) relationship out of perceived self-interests or because he liked his ego massaged. He also may have played both sides and gave information to American intelligence. In any case, our intelligence would have definitely paid attention to a prominent figure who often traveled to Russia.
For more information on Trump relations with Russia, you can give a read to The Hidden History of Trump’s First Trip to Moscow. A fascinating read but can’t vouch for its all its implied conclusions.