Althouse: "In Russia, you don't drain swamp. Swamp drains you."

February 15, 2017

"In Russia, you don't drain swamp. Swamp drains you."

Overheard at Meadhouse.

34 comments:

Big Mike said...: I think I can guess which one of you said it. And it wasn't Zeus.; 2/15/17, 8:02 AM
Unknown said...: In Russia, its not the Politics that kills you but the Polonium.; 2/15/17, 8:06 AM
Ann Althouse said...: The quote was a joint project. The quote in the post title is the best version of it after a back and forth.; 2/15/17, 8:16 AM
Gusty Winds said...: It is interesting how big all these issues are right now. For those that scream they are in favor of our representative democracy, where do these deep state lifetime bureaucrats fit? The Trump election may illustrate to the dismay of US citizens how little we actually control anything.; 2/15/17, 8:25 AM
Michael K said...: It seems to be true in Washington, too.

The bureaucracy is going for the kill. It doesn't matter to them what would come after. They assume they would run the government just fine without elections and other unnecessary ceremony.

The French are the example as the bureaucracy ran France for years while governments came and went.

Then the Germans came.; 2/15/17, 8:26 AM
tcrosse said...: The quote was a joint project. The quote in the post title is the best version of it after a back and forth.
I picture you doing Boris and Natasha over coffee and the NYT.; 2/15/17, 8:27 AM
Unknown said...: "The bureaucracy is going for the kill."

Yeah, right.

Soon after the intelligence community (IC) found out there was contact between the Trump campaign team and Russia, they informed our allies including the UK, Israel, Germany and Japan that intelligence sent by them to the US could end up in Russia.

As of today, the US is less safe than before the IC informed its allies because certain intelligence is being withheld by them.

That so-called "bureaucracy" is trying to save your ass.; 2/15/17, 8:40 AM
Henry said...: Maybe the mild-mannered Scott Walker would have been a better pick after all.; 2/15/17, 8:41 AM
Wince said...: "In Russia, you don't drain swamp. Swamp drains you."

Likewise, in Washington, the Washington Post will give Russia several few pages of newsprint replete with “paid propaganda from the Russian government” to "sop-up the swamp," as Tucker Carlson pointed out last night (link at my comment in the Omarosa/Nixonian post).; 2/15/17, 8:45 AM
Amadeus 48 said...: Pelosi made Drain the Swamp her main talking point in 2006. Look how well that worked.

I don't know. I used to get so excited when the Soviet Empire meddled around the world spreading Communist authoritarian failure (cf. Cuba, N Korea, Nicaragua, Chile, E. Germany, Poland, etc.). Then the wall fell.

Now it is tiny, shirtless Vlad with the big gas reservoir. Why can't I get alarmed? The NYT and WAPO certainly are excited. But I think it is just because they hate Trump. I also think they are posing idiots.

Let's make America great again.; 2/15/17, 8:46 AM
Anonymous said...: No easy way to win against Deep State. A chronic condition, with parasites whose life cycle is very complex. See also: bilharzia, malaria.

I like the Scott Walker approach but it will take time, focus, guts and allies. At the state scale he has done wonders, but the national apparatus is much more challenging.

Two obvious tactics:
(1) cut off the oxygen (payroll). Just shut down entire sections of the bureaucracy and then re-staff as needed. Reagan and PATCO may be a one-off but hey, it's worth a try.
(2) cut off some heads. There was a reason why the bodies of highwaymen were left hanging at the crossroads. Every passing traveler grew more thoughtful at the sight.; 2/15/17, 8:53 AM
DanTheMan said...: >> That so-called "bureaucracy" is trying to save your ass.

Scariest words in the English language:
"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you."; 2/15/17, 9:01 AM
roesch/voltaire said...: This discussion of the "swamp" deflects agency and ignores Putin, KGB, gulags and rampant corruption where Pogo of the swamp and his friends have siphoned billions from its citizens. If Trump had acted on Flynn after the briefing in January, there would have been no need for leaks from the so-called swamp.; 2/15/17, 9:02 AM
buwaya said...: Before Trump was elected I said here that he would be entering the greatest snakepit in human history, and that every mans hand in Washington would be against him.

This is what I was talking about.

This struggle will be much harder than the election, and this is why I never gave Trump much chance of succeeding. Its one thing to be elected by the people, its much harder to take $Trillions away from the PTB or to break all those rice bowls.

We will see also how much is left of American Democracy. Not much I think.; 2/15/17, 9:05 AM
buwaya said...: " If Trump had acted on Flynn after the briefing in January, there would have been no need for leaks from the so-called swamp."

If not that, something else.
Note also that both sides are still just feeling each other out.
Much more and much, much worse to follow.; 2/15/17, 9:06 AM
jacksonjay said...: Those damn establishment Republicans are to blame. Everyone knows they could have stopped Obama. Everyone knows they could have drained the DC swamp! Why didn't they make Eric Holder prosecute Lois Lehner, huh? As Limbaugh said, Boehner, Ryan, and Mitch only care about their power and won't rock the boat.

What we need is a not-a-politician who can Tweet It Like It Is. He'll clean house, I'm certain. Tough counterpuncher. They won't dare punch back. He'll insult them on Twitter if they try any funny business. He'll make those limp-dick GOPe's get on board or get out.

You folks need to stay strong!

I doubt anything happens around April 15. They wouldn't dare!; 2/15/17, 9:11 AM
buwaya said...: "Why didn't they make Eric Holder prosecute Lois Lehner, huh?"

Are you serious? That was never going to happen.
Holder most certainly has far more skeletons in his closet than Lerner.
And of course "Boehner, Ryan, and Mitch" are implicated in the system.; 2/15/17, 9:16 AM
Jaq said...: Imagine if Democratic primary voters had acted on the knowledge that Hillary had taken tens of millions from these self same Russians!

Garland would already be on the Court! Sad!; 2/15/17, 9:16 AM
mockturtle said...: Owen, I like your style! ;-); 2/15/17, 9:18 AM
Kevin said...: As the Chinese say, "Kill the chicken and let the monkey watch."

The American people are the monkey, while Trump and the deep state are playing chicken.; 2/15/17, 9:19 AM
traditionalguy said...: Today's King of the Swamp Creatures seems to be Paul Ryan. He pulled off his mask this morning , and now he totally agrees that the USA has always been at war with Russia/Asia and Trump can do nothing else.; 2/15/17, 9:23 AM
Michael K said...: "That so-called "bureaucracy" is trying to save your ass."

That is the last thing they care about but I assume this is the Inga/Unknown and your comments are no surprise.

The Deep State will not allow the swamp to be disturbed. There are trillions at stake.

I just hope Trump stays safe. The Deep State will start with lower ranking members of the administration to intimidate'

"Manigault reportedly was harassed by two unidentified people while recently shopping with her bridesmaids at a Nordstrom’s store in Tysons Corner.

This is too important to allow people to live,; 2/15/17, 9:31 AM
mockturtle said...: buwaya asserts: Before Trump was elected I said here that he would be entering the greatest snakepit in human history, and that every mans hand in Washington would be against him.

Before reading this I had posted on an older thread:
"Currently there is a juggernaut of establishment personnel--both Dem and GOP--that is actively sabotaging the new administration. Flynn was bounced specifically to preserve the Iran deal. I am concerned that, as Trump is perceived as the 'enemy' by both groups, things will get much worse. " Snake pit is a perfect metaphor, buwaya!; 2/15/17, 9:45 AM
Anonymous said...: Mockturtle @ 9:18:

Consider the compliment returned with interest. You, buwaya, Michael K and a few others here really brighten my day. Laslo of course plays at another level entirely.; 2/15/17, 9:50 AM
Drago said...: "Currently there is a juggernaut of establishment personnel--both Dem and GOP--that is actively sabotaging the new administration. Flynn was bounced specifically to preserve the Iran deal"

False.

Flynn was targeted by the establishment intel community (including felony activity on the part of that community) because he wanted to expose the Iran deal. (Trump should release the details of that deal immediately)

Flynn was ousted because he was not sufficiently forthcoming with the President and VP over a period of time which degraded their loyalty to him.; 2/15/17, 9:53 AM
Drago said...: Trump and his staff had better get their big guns firing and clear out the Obama holdovers otherwise we are going to see daily leaks from our supposedly above reproach intel community members.; 2/15/17, 9:54 AM
Birkel said...: I said quite a number of times that Leviathan is self-aware.

Perhaps I said it too many times and some of you decided it was raving.; 2/15/17, 10:14 AM
jacksonjay said...: buwaya puti,

No!; 2/15/17, 10:15 AM
mockturtle said...: Drago asserts: Flynn was ousted because he was not sufficiently forthcoming with the President and VP over a period of time which degraded their loyalty to him.

That was the purported reason. Here's another take on it: Flynn Targeted; 2/15/17, 11:07 AM
J. Farmer said...: What a country!; 2/15/17, 12:23 PM
Michael K said...: " Flynn was ousted because he was not sufficiently forthcoming with the President and VP "

The operation primarily focused on discrediting Flynn, an opponent of the Iran nuclear deal, in order to handicap the Trump administration's efforts to disclose secret details of the nuclear deal with Iran that had been long hidden by the Obama administration.

I still think there is something in that deal that the Deep State might be willing to kill to keep secret,

Trump should just publish the "Iran Deal Papers.; 2/15/17, 2:54 PM
Michael K said...: More on why Flynn was taken down by the Obama people in CIA,

During his first presidential campaign in 2008, Mr. Obama used a secret back channel to Tehran to assure the mullahs that he was a friend of the Islamic Republic, and that they would be very happy with his policies.
The secret channel was Ambassador William G. Miller, who served in Iran during the shah’s rule, as chief of staff for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and as ambassador to Ukraine. Ambassador Miller has confirmed to me his conversations with Iranian leaders during the 2008 campaign.

I'm sure we will learn more, I am not reassured by this item.

It's curious, then, that the architects of the Iran deal are enthusiastic about the frontrunner to replace Flynn, former Vice Admiral Robert Harward. This includes former Obama NSC spokesman Tommy Vietor:

Follow
Tommy Vietor ✔ @TVietor08
Vice Adm Harward is a very impressive (and nice) guy. https://twitter.com/PeterAlexander/status/831364520014659585 …
10:03 PM - 13 Feb 2017
139 139 Retweets 503 503 likes
And the Iran deal must be preserved at all costs:

Follow
Ilan Goldenberg ✔ @ilangoldenberg
Even if he wants to be tough on Iran, Trump needs to leave open the communication channels opened by Obama http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/02/14/trumps-iran-policy-is-missing-one-big-piece/ …; 2/15/17, 3:47 PM
Jupiter said...: Amadeus 48 said...

"Now it is tiny, shirtless Vlad with the big gas reservoir. Why can't I get alarmed? The NYT and WAPO certainly are excited. But I think it is just because they hate Trump. I also think they are posing idiots."

I think it is because they realize that Russia is a white Christian nation with a highly competent military, lots of natural resources, and a serious Muslim problem. Since they are no longer Communist, the globalists hate them. Worse, they are the natural allies of the white Christian American nation the globalists are trying to destroy. So the Russkis annexed the Crimea. Let 'em keep it. At least they aren't going to hand it over to the God-damned Muzzies.; 2/15/17, 8:48 PM
mockturtle said...: Good point, Jupiter. The Russians have been dealing with the terrorists longer than we have, other than maybe the Barbary pirates. We could have learned from their experience in Afghanistan and saved ourselves a lot of grief.; 2/16/17, 9:20 AM