If enough evidence mounts against him the GOP leadership might privately ask him to “voluntarily” resign for the good of the party (and to a lesser extent the good of the nation). I can’t imagine he’d react well to such a suggestion though.
Apologies, you gave me an opening for a point I wanted to make. I certainly do not intend to characterize you as anti-Russian and I hope that is clear. I’m not a great writer!
But Britain enjoys all kinds of pro-Anglo propaganda from the USA, so I’ll feel no shame for using them as a whipping boy. Roughly a third of my immediate family lives in Old Blighty, actually.
Normal espionage, of the sort that one should expect. But again, it would have been far worse if it had been used for blackmail or given only to the competition, rather than being leaked to the public. If the DNC wants to play in the big leagues, maybe they shouldn’t cry so much when they take a routine hit.
I don’t want to be a fellow traveller with anti-Russian McCarthyism and Reaganism because the DNC is technically incompetent, uses weak passwords and can’t keep their infrastructure secure.
I certainly do want a President who is not involved with organized crime, though. Just to keep that point in the foreground.
Good night, all!
You’re victim-blaming and justifying something absolutely unjustifiable to my mind, so I’ll be done here. Have a good night!
There’s no real reason to believe the DNC’s security was any worse than the RNC’s. We now know that both sides had similarly crappy practices for data security. It’s entirely possible, even likely, that the Russians hacked both parties’ servers but just dished out the dirt on the Democrats to hurt Clinton in the election.
Yes, it’s a flying circus.
(Mumblemumble) Eton, old boy.
Actually, as someone who’s in the UK, (so won’t see this directly) I’m curious - what kind of thing do you have in mind here?
(We mostly still think we exist to be the villains in your movies. )
No hard feelings.
To you as well.
Medievalist probably should have explicitly qualified that as “anyone sane”.
Treating transgender people like human beings would do the trick.
Well, not yet. Depends how cross Nicola Sturgeon makes her, maybe.
Theresa May doesn’t go around having her political opponents murdered.
As far as we know…
(D-Notices (Now DSMA notices) are still A Thing. )
Myself, I’m still slightly surprised that Natalie Rowe hasn’t had an unfortunate accident.
(‘Unrelated’ police raids that caused a compromising photo to spontaneously vanish at the same time, sure. But no heart attacks, or falls.)
You’re victim-blaming…
That’s a very fair criticism. Yes I am. I have no sympathy for the DNC or RNC, because of their beliefs and behavior. They are not allies of the rest of the American citizenry in any sense, they are cynical exploiters who need to stop hiding their real beliefs and operate more transparently.
…and justifying something absolutely unjustifiable to my mind,
I get that, and this is something we will have to disagree on, but I hope it’s obvious that this in no way diminishes my opinion of people who believe as you do.
…as someone who’s in the UK, (so won’t see [pro-British American propaganda] directly) I’m curious - what kind of thing do you have in mind here?
Our politicians are constantly harping on about our “special relationship”, our state-created public media specialize in rebroadcasting English TV (I watched all of Monty Python and Benny Hill on tax-funded television stations), and just in general Britons are portrayed as militarily, socially and culturally virtuous by our government and by our media.
(We mostly still think we exist to be the villains in your movies. )
A particular, special archetype of villain, though - the brilliant, nattily dressed supervillain. German villains are technically skilled, aggressive but coldly unemotional, and everything they wear looks vaguely like a uniform. Russian villains are brutal, sadistic, and believe their own propaganda (unless they are pre-communist Russian aristocracy - in which case they speak with British accents!). Both of the latter are easily bamboozled by the likes of the dapper, suave and sexy English villain (although of course the English villain is defeated by the plucky, unschooled American farmboy who knows when to get his hands dirty).
I’m really glad I’ve never been in the position to want to justify foreign intelligence agencies interfering in elections, and if I had I’d take a good hard look at myself to figure out why I’d be critical of US intelligence agencies engaging in far lesser crimes, but giving this a pass. I do hope you’re not critical of the CIA meddling in foreign elections, though. Categorical imperative and all that.
general Britons are portrayed as militarily, socially and culturally virtuous by our government and by our media.
I’ve never been in the position to want to justify foreign intelligence agencies interfering in elections
Well, unless you’re going to damn the US government in far harsher terms than you have the Russians, you already are in that position.
US politicians - Democrat and Republicans alike - have instructed US spy agencies to subvert and prevent fair elections all over the world; surely, for example, you remember how Iran became what it is?
But again, I do get where you are coming from - I just don’t agree. Spies will spy; and I am in favor of sunlight and don’t care all that much who opens the blinds to let it in. For you, it matters a lot whose hand is on the cord. We have different priorities.
US politicians - Democrat and Republicans alike - have instructed US spy agencies to subvert and prevent fair elections all over the world; surely, for example, you remember how Iran became what it is?
Have you ever heard me say that was in any way justifiable? It’s because I hold that as a wrong that I hold this instance of the same as a wrong.
Spies will spy; and I am in favor of sunlight and don’t care all that much who opens the blinds to let it in.
When spies selectively release info/docs to release to manipulate public opinion, that’s not sunlight. It’s information warfare.
When spies selectively release info/docs to release to manipulate public opinion, that’s not sunlight. It’s information warfare.
The only cure or preventative is to release everything, and operate transparently.
The DNC chooses not to do that, so they will be subject to this problem, regardless of what you and I do.
That’s just objective reality, not a defense of anyone’s actions.
You cannot expect spies not to spy, and you cannot expect foreign governments not to care who gets elected to the White House.
Again, this is simple reality.
I don’t like seeing half the country focused on reviving anti-Russian cold war memes. I didn’t like the anti-Mexican or anti-Muslim memes either; I am consistent to that extent.