Treason is right…and for the second time! I don’t doubt a word you’ve said and warned us regarding Russia. A lot of folks over there falling out of windows? Look what Putin did to Navalny. If I understand correctly, NATO was developed to keep Russia at bay. This is the reason Trump wants us out of it. It should be clear now (one would think) what Trump and his tribe are up to. I was 2 years old when the war with Hitler finally ended, but the tragedies of that war were fresh back then and still are today. We should never forget the Holocaust- never. Trump is moving step-by-step like Hitler. Folks should know by now that Trump is a wannabe dictator. What’s so difficult is understanding why any true American can’t see this?
agreed, but fear is real, and apparently, paralyzing.
republican senators are afraid of musk's money, since he's threatened to primary them if they speak out. free speech absolutist my ass. colleagues, friends and neighbors are also afraid to speak out, but we have to face down our demons and be as loud and aggressive as we can, while we still can.
same here. especially since most of them would continue to collect the same salary and benefits, so it's not a money threat. loss of power is a real threat, but I think musk's threats must be even more lethal.
But isn't another reason that members of congress are making so much money from grift that they really don't want to lose their jobs? They're just greedy m-fers.
It's always been Russia, Russia, Russia. Too bad there's not a credible source for the latest claim. DTs other name. Krasnov according to what the Guardian posted, then apparently took down. I say it's too bad, but really it wouldn't matter if there were collaboration. The GOP wouldn't care and his base doesn't seem to care either.
but maga is only about 20% of the country. the rest of us do care... any idea why the guardian took it down? aside from musk/trump threatening to block their publication, I mean?
I was assuming they took it down out of fear of retribution. Seems to be the prevailing theme lately. I agree that Maga is a smaller group than what most realize. I've noticed though in conversation with people in my area, very red E Ky, even those that are conservative but not Maga, if the russia DT connection is brought up, they wave their hand and say oh that again. Then roll their eyes. I know many of these people as I'd have no acquaintances or friends otherwise. It's as if a miasma has overcome the majority of them. No matter what source you use, what proof you have, they will laugh in your face.
Sabrina, I applaud your bravery and determination in providing us with this post. I find it truly amazing. Surely after this, our SCOTUS would recognize that their recent adjudication of after-the-fact bribes are not just 'gifts'.
you give scotus too much credit. they know perfectly well that bribes aren't just "gifts." the federalists on the court had to rule that way bc Thomas and Alito have been taking "gifts" from corporations for decades. They are crooked and compromised political hacks, and I suspect they will continue to enable Trump's coup.
Sabrina, thanks for your additional comments. Yes, I'm sure you're right. But still, your first-hand account of your experiences in Russia is amazing.
I'm also amazed that our institutions don't seem to know what to do at this point. I'm not an attorney, but common sense would tell me for the House to begin investigations into DOGE with laser focus on Musk. Either Musk would be willing to take all the responsibility for unauthorized intrusions into federal databases, or he would have no other choice than to implicate the person behind the whole affair. Musk is not going to risk his vast business conglomerate to shield trump.
Then, with musk's testimony, proceed with impeachment no. 3 (!) against trump.
I don't disagree, but with republicans in majority in both houses, too frightened to do their own fucking jobs, there's little dems in Congress can do. it's really up to us. show up at protests. post on social media. call your representatives. get to know your neighbors, and exchange phone numbers. I can't believe I'm writing this, but I also think it's time to arm.
Fascinating first-hand insight into doing business in Russia, Sabrina. You have an interesting history. Putin was smarter than Trump in that he allowed oligarchs to keep their wealth and launder it internationally as long as they stayed out of politics. If Musk was Russian he would be dead by now. My concern is that through the influence of Aleksandr Dugin, Putin has abandoned his efforts to Westernize Russia and embraced Christian Nationalism. This aligns him with the Christian Nationalists in the West which is why Vance and his team admire him so much.
I don't disagree, but see Putin's embrace of Christo-nationalism as transactional. Same as Trump. Men who would murder and plunder will embrace anything to advance their power. if satan were in vogue, they'd be satan-nationalists. I'm an atheist, so I don't care what anyone believes, but false and aggressive religion is a time-worn tool of oppressors. As an aside, do you have any info on why the Guardian showed trump's KGB story, then took it down?
I agree and maintain deep skepticism. Trump's so-called Christianity is clearly part of his scam. With Putin I'm not so sure. Reading historian Vladimir Brovkin, you get a sense that after the West rejected him, Putin developed a disgust for the decadence of the West, particularly around homosexuality, identity politics more broadly and the breakdown of family values. Inspired by Dugan, he then started defending the values of the Russian Orthodox Church which the Ukrainians banned from their country. You might be right that like Roman Emperor Constantine, it may be a just an effective means for controlling the population. But now in his 70's. it might be some insurance for his afterlife. You wouldn't think that the mass murder of millions would help him much though.
As for The Guardian, I just read the article on the internet. So it's there. His recruitment does not surprise me at all and explains a lot and was obvious from his first presidency. But it reveals a massive intelligence failure for the US to allow a Russian asset to become POTUS and why isn't everyone talking about it? Can't wait to see the mini-series.
the way musk is eliminating critical speech, I don't think there will be a series, not while we're still young enough to watch it. fascism, once rooted, will take at least a generation to kill.
This is our real border crisis! What we have here is a shituation (intentional typo). My fellow progressives, it's time to reach across "the aisle" to our fellow citizens who voted for Trump. I've penned a blogpost to them, using Christian language, which spells out their (and our!) duty-of-care to attempt to take back our democracy, through dialog with each other. We are presently being divided by "good cop / bad cop" treachery. We must awake. (Being "woke" is defending the western enlightment!) America, this is your wake-up call. ~eric. MeridaGOround.com (dated 21 Feb 2025).
Trump is straight up a Russian asset, the most vile example of a Useful idiot there could ever be. Thus his constant praise and dog with his tail between his legs stature when it comes to putin.
There has to be a way to force the Supreme Court to revisit their repugnant rewrite of 14-3. That's the Only way We can rid Our Nation of the infectious disease that's draining the Democracy out of Our Nation. With the recent decision within SCOTUS welding a 7-2 majority, it's a prime time, for that to be back on the table!
I can't think of a way to resurrect the 14-3 case, esp since it was unanimous. but I do think they can revisit the criminal immunity ruling, when trump's excess gets to the court. if I were Roberts, I'd take the time to list what illegal actions are NOT "core" functions of the presidency (like, assassination of critics or political rivals is never, under any circumstance, a core function of the presidency). if he doesn't do that, he will soon have blood on his hands, and history will not forgive him for it.
"At their core, Trump/Musk embrace Putin because he stands for ruthless oligarchy and defeat of the only thing that challenges Trump: the rule of law. As I see it, it is treason."
Yes, yes, and - YES.
Absolutely.
And.. Here is my disposable observation:
America - as practiced - is a perpetual state of profound dissociation. It awakens at times to panic-infused resolve - because eggs, or woke - not because the house is fully engulfed in non artificial flames. It is unaware of self or situation. It exists in fragments untethered across numerous parallel unrealities. It is apathetic to apathy itself. It waits for instruction on how not to be sheep. Its grievances are petty, many, and loudly displayed on bumpers across the interstate.
My grievance is the above. We have the knowledge to shape this world into whatever we choose. We choose to avoid choice.
in a twisted way, I've been thinking there may be a silver lining in trump/musk. apathy kept a plurality of voters, 90 million, from votingl in November. (voter suppression too). it's appalling, but also a reflection that people aren't engaged bc they don't feel pressure to engage. even our poorest are fed, clothed and housed. maybe our own round of jackboots at the door will shake us up enough to care. I'm assuming trump will use a national emergency to impose martial law and cancel the midterms. if that doesn't wake us up, democracy had a short shelf life baked in, and trump was more symptom than cause. reading some early convos in the 1770s about one man, one vote is fascinating. early greeks had the same debate: how can one man one vote be sustained, when there are more ignorant voters than informed ones?
I am still not convinced that the election results reported reflect the actual cast -- or assumed by the voter to have been cast. If genius Muskrat was involved and supporting the orange one, there was plenty of opportunity for his minions to hack the election process. They probably practiced in 2016 and 2020. I'm sure the elections were close -- but it would only take little "oopsies" in the swing states to throw results.
There was a lot of distracting noise all along about election fraud that could have seriously affected the will of the Biden/Harris campaign to challenge. The orange guy may not be a "stable genius", but he is surely a con man and thug.
If weren't you detailing the Trump/Putin treachery, I would think all of it was a plot for a B movie. Thank you for the eye-opening report. It shows the extent of Trump's hatred for America and the cowardice of Republicans in Congress.
I just posted my own Substact with a link to and excerpt from "Dear President Zelenskyy" and then looked at my email and saw you put this online. I had to go back and put a link to this Substack there. Like me, and a few others, you don't try to sugar-coat how far the blitzkrieg to assault and destroy democracy Trump & Co. has gone to make the country into a Russia or Nazi-like tyranny.
MAGA says we have Trump derangement syndrome when we compare Trump to Hitler or Putin. I have to give whoever came up with this term credit because it is right out of 1984:
"“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”
If we see what is really happening we are crazy. Two plus two isn't four, it is whatever Big Brother say it is.
Two days ago I wrote "We're on the road to tyranny." Today I wrote "Trump & Co. have just blown by the "SPEED, NO LIMIT" sign on the road to tyranny:
The Trump blitzkrieg smashed into the speed sign in their juggernaut to conquer democracy. They are now in the village where we live which is on the other side of the hill." The hill and a smashed "SPEED, NO LIMIT" sign is shown in the illustration which I made. Here's my Substack for today:
Treason is right…and for the second time! I don’t doubt a word you’ve said and warned us regarding Russia. A lot of folks over there falling out of windows? Look what Putin did to Navalny. If I understand correctly, NATO was developed to keep Russia at bay. This is the reason Trump wants us out of it. It should be clear now (one would think) what Trump and his tribe are up to. I was 2 years old when the war with Hitler finally ended, but the tragedies of that war were fresh back then and still are today. We should never forget the Holocaust- never. Trump is moving step-by-step like Hitler. Folks should know by now that Trump is a wannabe dictator. What’s so difficult is understanding why any true American can’t see this?
agreed, but fear is real, and apparently, paralyzing.
republican senators are afraid of musk's money, since he's threatened to primary them if they speak out. free speech absolutist my ass. colleagues, friends and neighbors are also afraid to speak out, but we have to face down our demons and be as loud and aggressive as we can, while we still can.
I wonder if the threats they fear are worse than being challenged in a political race.
same here. especially since most of them would continue to collect the same salary and benefits, so it's not a money threat. loss of power is a real threat, but I think musk's threats must be even more lethal.
But isn't another reason that members of congress are making so much money from grift that they really don't want to lose their jobs? They're just greedy m-fers.
From Yahoo News: “Donald Trump was recruited by KGB with codename 'Krasnov', claims ex-Soviet spy”
Christopher Bucktin & Billy Gaddi
Ann, commenting above, mentioned the Guardian article re same.
It's always been Russia, Russia, Russia. Too bad there's not a credible source for the latest claim. DTs other name. Krasnov according to what the Guardian posted, then apparently took down. I say it's too bad, but really it wouldn't matter if there were collaboration. The GOP wouldn't care and his base doesn't seem to care either.
but maga is only about 20% of the country. the rest of us do care... any idea why the guardian took it down? aside from musk/trump threatening to block their publication, I mean?
I was assuming they took it down out of fear of retribution. Seems to be the prevailing theme lately. I agree that Maga is a smaller group than what most realize. I've noticed though in conversation with people in my area, very red E Ky, even those that are conservative but not Maga, if the russia DT connection is brought up, they wave their hand and say oh that again. Then roll their eyes. I know many of these people as I'd have no acquaintances or friends otherwise. It's as if a miasma has overcome the majority of them. No matter what source you use, what proof you have, they will laugh in your face.
Sorry wrong newspaper. It was The Daily Beast. That's my fault for doomscrolling in the middle of the night, not fully awake.
thanks. yahoo news is running the story this morning.
Good! Hopefully it will stay up long enough for those that need to read it most, see it!
Sabrina, I applaud your bravery and determination in providing us with this post. I find it truly amazing. Surely after this, our SCOTUS would recognize that their recent adjudication of after-the-fact bribes are not just 'gifts'.
you give scotus too much credit. they know perfectly well that bribes aren't just "gifts." the federalists on the court had to rule that way bc Thomas and Alito have been taking "gifts" from corporations for decades. They are crooked and compromised political hacks, and I suspect they will continue to enable Trump's coup.
Sadly Roberts has lost control of this court! I wish Biden had altered the court when he had the opportunity to give us a fair shake in the rulings!
Frankly, I think Roberts is a crook too.
Sabrina, thanks for your additional comments. Yes, I'm sure you're right. But still, your first-hand account of your experiences in Russia is amazing.
I'm also amazed that our institutions don't seem to know what to do at this point. I'm not an attorney, but common sense would tell me for the House to begin investigations into DOGE with laser focus on Musk. Either Musk would be willing to take all the responsibility for unauthorized intrusions into federal databases, or he would have no other choice than to implicate the person behind the whole affair. Musk is not going to risk his vast business conglomerate to shield trump.
Then, with musk's testimony, proceed with impeachment no. 3 (!) against trump.
I don't disagree, but with republicans in majority in both houses, too frightened to do their own fucking jobs, there's little dems in Congress can do. it's really up to us. show up at protests. post on social media. call your representatives. get to know your neighbors, and exchange phone numbers. I can't believe I'm writing this, but I also think it's time to arm.
I agree with your last eight words, but I can't bring myself to do it. But I think you're right. I'm boycotting every large corporate business I can.
Fascinating first-hand insight into doing business in Russia, Sabrina. You have an interesting history. Putin was smarter than Trump in that he allowed oligarchs to keep their wealth and launder it internationally as long as they stayed out of politics. If Musk was Russian he would be dead by now. My concern is that through the influence of Aleksandr Dugin, Putin has abandoned his efforts to Westernize Russia and embraced Christian Nationalism. This aligns him with the Christian Nationalists in the West which is why Vance and his team admire him so much.
I don't disagree, but see Putin's embrace of Christo-nationalism as transactional. Same as Trump. Men who would murder and plunder will embrace anything to advance their power. if satan were in vogue, they'd be satan-nationalists. I'm an atheist, so I don't care what anyone believes, but false and aggressive religion is a time-worn tool of oppressors. As an aside, do you have any info on why the Guardian showed trump's KGB story, then took it down?
I agree and maintain deep skepticism. Trump's so-called Christianity is clearly part of his scam. With Putin I'm not so sure. Reading historian Vladimir Brovkin, you get a sense that after the West rejected him, Putin developed a disgust for the decadence of the West, particularly around homosexuality, identity politics more broadly and the breakdown of family values. Inspired by Dugan, he then started defending the values of the Russian Orthodox Church which the Ukrainians banned from their country. You might be right that like Roman Emperor Constantine, it may be a just an effective means for controlling the population. But now in his 70's. it might be some insurance for his afterlife. You wouldn't think that the mass murder of millions would help him much though.
As for The Guardian, I just read the article on the internet. So it's there. His recruitment does not surprise me at all and explains a lot and was obvious from his first presidency. But it reveals a massive intelligence failure for the US to allow a Russian asset to become POTUS and why isn't everyone talking about it? Can't wait to see the mini-series.
the way musk is eliminating critical speech, I don't think there will be a series, not while we're still young enough to watch it. fascism, once rooted, will take at least a generation to kill.
It speaks volumes for "christians" that they support these "men". Apparently "christianity" means nothing.
This is our real border crisis! What we have here is a shituation (intentional typo). My fellow progressives, it's time to reach across "the aisle" to our fellow citizens who voted for Trump. I've penned a blogpost to them, using Christian language, which spells out their (and our!) duty-of-care to attempt to take back our democracy, through dialog with each other. We are presently being divided by "good cop / bad cop" treachery. We must awake. (Being "woke" is defending the western enlightment!) America, this is your wake-up call. ~eric. MeridaGOround.com (dated 21 Feb 2025).
Trump is straight up a Russian asset, the most vile example of a Useful idiot there could ever be. Thus his constant praise and dog with his tail between his legs stature when it comes to putin.
There has to be a way to force the Supreme Court to revisit their repugnant rewrite of 14-3. That's the Only way We can rid Our Nation of the infectious disease that's draining the Democracy out of Our Nation. With the recent decision within SCOTUS welding a 7-2 majority, it's a prime time, for that to be back on the table!
I can't think of a way to resurrect the 14-3 case, esp since it was unanimous. but I do think they can revisit the criminal immunity ruling, when trump's excess gets to the court. if I were Roberts, I'd take the time to list what illegal actions are NOT "core" functions of the presidency (like, assassination of critics or political rivals is never, under any circumstance, a core function of the presidency). if he doesn't do that, he will soon have blood on his hands, and history will not forgive him for it.
"At their core, Trump/Musk embrace Putin because he stands for ruthless oligarchy and defeat of the only thing that challenges Trump: the rule of law. As I see it, it is treason."
Yes, yes, and - YES.
Absolutely.
And.. Here is my disposable observation:
America - as practiced - is a perpetual state of profound dissociation. It awakens at times to panic-infused resolve - because eggs, or woke - not because the house is fully engulfed in non artificial flames. It is unaware of self or situation. It exists in fragments untethered across numerous parallel unrealities. It is apathetic to apathy itself. It waits for instruction on how not to be sheep. Its grievances are petty, many, and loudly displayed on bumpers across the interstate.
My grievance is the above. We have the knowledge to shape this world into whatever we choose. We choose to avoid choice.
in a twisted way, I've been thinking there may be a silver lining in trump/musk. apathy kept a plurality of voters, 90 million, from votingl in November. (voter suppression too). it's appalling, but also a reflection that people aren't engaged bc they don't feel pressure to engage. even our poorest are fed, clothed and housed. maybe our own round of jackboots at the door will shake us up enough to care. I'm assuming trump will use a national emergency to impose martial law and cancel the midterms. if that doesn't wake us up, democracy had a short shelf life baked in, and trump was more symptom than cause. reading some early convos in the 1770s about one man, one vote is fascinating. early greeks had the same debate: how can one man one vote be sustained, when there are more ignorant voters than informed ones?
I am still not convinced that the election results reported reflect the actual cast -- or assumed by the voter to have been cast. If genius Muskrat was involved and supporting the orange one, there was plenty of opportunity for his minions to hack the election process. They probably practiced in 2016 and 2020. I'm sure the elections were close -- but it would only take little "oopsies" in the swing states to throw results.
There was a lot of distracting noise all along about election fraud that could have seriously affected the will of the Biden/Harris campaign to challenge. The orange guy may not be a "stable genius", but he is surely a con man and thug.
💯
An anonymous friend shared this humorous poem this morning, titled A President's Lament — which is an imagined exchange between DJT and MUSK:
The President's Lament
[exchanges between DJT and Musk]
A Poem by A. Dissenter [Feb 22, 2025]
Elon! Oh,Elon! I'm so distraught!
The Polls are showing we've lost a lot.
We've lost the support of the Republican hordes.
They're calling us scumbags and fascist warlords.
They're saying we do not deserve their support.
They're saying they'll fight us in every state court.
Oh, Elon, dear Elon, I feel so undone.
This presidency is no longer fun.
Now, Donald, dear Donald, there's no need for alarm.
Those ignorant fools can do us no harm.
We have the money and we have the power.
And we're getting richer with each passing hour.
We'll forget about making it great again.
We'll make America INFLATE again.
Inflation! Inflation! That's the key!
It will mean more money for you and for me!
The fools will pay more for corn and for beans.
They'll pay more for their gas guzzling machines.
They'll pay more for water, they'll pay more for bread.
We don't really care whether or not they get fed.
And when with inflation we're through with our fun,
We'll blame in on Joe, like we've always done.
Take heart, dear Donald, We've only begun.
We'll do just like our hero, the Austrian one.
Oh how he made Germany great again!
His Brown Shirts, his Gestapo, all wonderful men!
We'll do just like Adolf, we'll be a great hit.
And if things go wrong, we surely won't quit.
We'll hide in a bunker, and like Adolf
.....(gasp).................oh.............sh*t
love it
If weren't you detailing the Trump/Putin treachery, I would think all of it was a plot for a B movie. Thank you for the eye-opening report. It shows the extent of Trump's hatred for America and the cowardice of Republicans in Congress.
I just posted my own Substact with a link to and excerpt from "Dear President Zelenskyy" and then looked at my email and saw you put this online. I had to go back and put a link to this Substack there. Like me, and a few others, you don't try to sugar-coat how far the blitzkrieg to assault and destroy democracy Trump & Co. has gone to make the country into a Russia or Nazi-like tyranny.
MAGA says we have Trump derangement syndrome when we compare Trump to Hitler or Putin. I have to give whoever came up with this term credit because it is right out of 1984:
"“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”
If we see what is really happening we are crazy. Two plus two isn't four, it is whatever Big Brother say it is.
Two days ago I wrote "We're on the road to tyranny." Today I wrote "Trump & Co. have just blown by the "SPEED, NO LIMIT" sign on the road to tyranny:
The Trump blitzkrieg smashed into the speed sign in their juggernaut to conquer democracy. They are now in the village where we live which is on the other side of the hill." The hill and a smashed "SPEED, NO LIMIT" sign is shown in the illustration which I made. Here's my Substack for today:
https://halbrown.substack.com/p/trump-and-co-have-just-blown-by-the