March 29, 2019

"Shortly after Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union, in 1985, he released a banned film, Repentance, that explored the underlying institutional, ideological, and personal dynamics of Stalinism."

"The film set off a nationwide media trial and condemnation of that murderous era. Though Russiagate has generated in America some Soviet-like practices and ruined a number of lives and reputations, it is, of course, nothing even remotely comparable to the Soviet Stalinist experience. By comparison, therefore, some introspective repentance on the part of Russiagate perpetuators should not be too much to ask. But... there is unlikely to be much, if any. Too many personal and organizational interests are too deeply invested in Russiagate.... No mainstream media did anything to expose, for example, two crucial and fraudulent Russiagate documents—the so-called Steele Dossier and the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment—but instead relied heavily on them for their own narratives.... Nor... was this entirely inadvertent or accidental. On August 8, 2016, the trend-setting New York Times published on its front page an astonishing editorial manifesto by its media critic. Asking whether 'normal standards' should apply to candidate Trump, he explained that they should not: 'You have to throw out the textbook American journalism has been using for the better part of the past half-century.' Let others decide whether this Times proclamation unleashed the highly selective, unbalanced, questionably factual 'journalism' that has so degraded Russiagate media or instead the publication sought to justify what was already underway. In either case, this remarkable—and ramifying—Times rejection of its own professed standards should not be forgotten. Almost equally remarkable and lamentable, we learn that even now, after Mueller’s finding is known, top executives of the Times and other leading Russiagate media outlets, including The Washington Post and CNN, 'have no regrets.'"

From "The Real Costs of Russiagate/Its perpetrators, not Putin or Trump, 'attacked American democracy'" by Stephen F. Cohen (professor emeritus of Russian studies and politics at New York University and Princeton University and author of "War With Russia? From Putin and Ukraine to Trump and Russiagate").

86 comments:

rhhardin said...

Any good analysis has to include the media business model.

Nobody's even trying to do hard news either on the right or on the left.

Tommy Duncan said...

Shhh, quiet please. You're ruining the narrative.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The leftists who push Stalinist lies are the actual "Russians" or really the actual "Villains" they manufactured.

rehajm said...

Stronger criticism I have not seen. I detect a shift in The Force...

robother said...

The Deep State has effectively turned the MSM into its propaganda outlet, while undermining the faith of Americans in elections (far more than any Trump complaints ever could do). As Orwell sensed, the ground of every Deep State is war, the sense that there is an eternal EastAsia we have always been at war with.

Since the ending of the Cold War, and the ensuing cuts in the Defense budget (the only source of Clinton/Gingrich balanced budgets) the Military/Industrial Establishment has responded, with ever-widening conflicts in the balkans and Middle East. But Russia-gate represents their wet dream: re-starting the Cold War with Russia. With the wiling support of the MSM, they have reset the political clock to the early 50s, McCarthyism and all. To the extent that is successful, they really don't care whether McCain Republicans or JFK Democrats win the Presidency, as long as the basis of winning is who will best address the missile gap, the submarine gap, the space weapon gap.

Owen said...

When a system cannot demonstrate that it has cleansed itself, the only prudent course is to assume that it is dirty.

tim in vermont said...

“Hey, we took a shot.” - The Media.

buwaya said...

The underlying problem here is that the intellectual class is largely part of Angelo Codevilla's ruling class, or perhaps caste. There is no scope for introspection, or above-it-all dispassion, when the conflict concerns ones own status. The New York Times, or rather the media system it is part of and directed by, cannot back down, because that way lies defeat.

It takes people outside that system to see it objectively and with perspective. There aren't very many of that kind.

Oso Negro said...

Let us never forget that the New York Times was there FOR Stalin as well. Supporting cruel tyranny is nothing new to the Times.

CJinPA said...

On August 8, 2016, the trend-setting New York Times published on its front page an astonishing editorial manifesto by its media critic. Asking whether 'normal standards' should apply to candidate Trump, he explained that they should not: 'You have to throw out the textbook American journalism has been using for the better part of the past half-century.' Let others decide whether this Times proclamation unleashed...

Coming from the single most powerful news outlet in the world, it unleashed news organizations from the threadbare restraints on their ideology. The 2016 election unleashed them, but they were hacking at the twine for years. It was during the 2012 presidential election that taxpayer-supported NPR formally removed "objectivity" from its mission statement. https://tinyurl.com/y67fsusv

The 2016 NY Times piece was the crossing of a line that can't be uncrossed, but it was the unsurprising end of a long march. Journalism professors love to preen about their profession's mission being to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." And only they have the power to decide who gets which label. So, a wealthy celebrity like Jussie Smollett becomes "the afflicted" and a truck driver in Iowa with a red hat becomes "the comfortable."

Americans can't even agree on the facts anymore, because we don't trust the fact-gatherers. That can't be good.

tim in vermont said...

Any good analysis has to include the media business model.

All of these newspapers are owned by people with far larger interests than ad revenue. They want stuff from the government. The money piles up or flows away from these people far more based on government policy than the profits or losses isolated to these arms of their businesses.

You own a newspaper so that you can do favors for the powerful, or even so that you can threaten them credibly.

Amadeus 48 said...

Stephen Cohen has captured where we are perfectly.

Original Mike said...

"The Real Costs of Russiagate/Its perpetrators, not Putin or Trump, 'attacked American democracy'".

Title says it all. The people who did this are slime. We'll never hear any regrets from them. Their sin is unforgivable. They have to keep lying, even to themselves, in order to be able to look in the mirror.

Larry J said...

Let's just call it what it really was - a coup attempt - and respond accordingly. Skip the political showboating testimony in Congress and convene grand juries, but not within 500 miles of the DC Beltway. Let the indictments and prosecutions fall where they may. Let those indicted be tried, and those convicted sentenced harshly.

Mike Sylwester said...

No mainstream media did anything to expose, for example, two crucial and fraudulent Russiagate documents —- the so-called Steele Dossier and the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment —- but instead relied heavily on them for their own narratives.... Nor... was this entirely inadvertent or accidental.

The Background to Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) is titled Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections”: The Analytic Process and Cyber Incident Attribution, and it was release to the public on January 6, 2017.

On that same day, the ICA was discussed on this blog.

The ICA is a pathetic document that does not prove anything at all. The document's text portion is 13 pages long. More than seven of those pages are about Russia's RT news-reporting company. For example, RT broadcast television shows that criticized fracking.

The other six or so pages assert that Russians do various nefarious cyber activities, but the ICA does not provide any details relevant to the USA's 2016 elections. The US public is supposed to just accept the assertions as proof.

Although no proof is provided to the public, much of the public considers the ICA assertions to be beyond any questioning or skepticism.

Much more proof was provided to the public that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction than has been provided that Russia meddled in our 2016 elections. However, our country's smartest people proclaim their certainty that Russia indeed did meddle in those elections.

YoungHegelian said...

The RussiaGate cultural assault by the media & "Deep State" was an exercise in building a national discourse, a "narrative". Maybe it wasn't perfect this time, but building social narratives this big takes practice. They'll do better next time.

For now, though, they can take comfort in their small successes. Like Sarah Palin and not Tina Fey said that she could see Russia from her house. That Trump said that there were good people on both sides in reference to the Neo-Nazis in Charlottesville.

National narratives are built one discourse at a time. Think of it as a Post-modern set of Lego blocks.

Seeing Red said...

I believe Iowahawk and Treacher and Glenn have this covered:

Journalism is about covering important stories. With a pillow, until they stop moving.

Modern journalism is all about deciding which facts the public shouldn’t know because they might reflect badly on Democrats.

Democratic Operatives with By-Lines.



tim in vermont said...

When did The Nation become a right wing rag?

I would like somebody to point me to any analysis piece outside of the far left and “right wing” press that correctly anticipated the result here. I am talking about New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, NBC, CBS, or ABC.

If you read them exclusively, when you heard the report was out, you ran to your TV for a glimpse of Don Jr in handcuffs.

Bay Area Guy said...

Cohen is a real deep thinker and scholar on this and othe Cold War issues. Amazingly, though, he married that rich, hot crazy woman from The Nation, who was wrong about everything during the Cold War.

But both Cohen and The Nation understand what a vicious little frame-up job this bullshit Russian investigation was.

Some Seppo said...

That NYT manifesto is evidence of actual malice. Trump v NYT should weaken Sullivan v NYT.

CJinPA said...

To the author's point about the cost of Russiagate:

“Two out of three Democrats also claim Russia tampered with vote tallies on Election Day to help the President – something for which there has been no credible evidence.”

YouGov Poll

That's almost as bad as another media-fed conspiracy theory: most Democrats believe(d) George W. Bush knew about 9/11 ahead of time and let it happen.

These two polls are astounding. What is the cost to a nation with so much media-driven, toxic cynicism?

traditionalguy said...

Ah ha. A truth teller is on the loose among us. He wants to know why there is no Loyalty to the anachronistic nation state called the United States of America among the Globalist Money Flow Only boys.That's a good question. The CIA has developed total control power by carefully collected Compromat material. That brings us around to Jeffery Epstein's Island for orgies with teens and children complete with bloody sacrifices made to Ancient Demon Gods. The rest of that story is too terrible to be told.

In other words an Evil Group is governing the money flow Globalists. My guess is the German Windsor Royal Family. They are the ones that tried their best to surrender England to Hitler in May, 1940. Their surrender was only blocked by the feisty, half Scots-Irish, much hated rude man called Winston Churchill. Winston's Deplorables then went over and rescued their Army at Dunkirk, and fought Hitler alone for the next two desperate years, until Winston could drag FDR into the fight.

Churchill summed it up in August , 1940 after watching the last of the RAF's fighter pilots holding off the greatest Luftwaffe air raids. Winston was moved to say, " Never in the history of mankind has so much been owed by so many to so few."

That also sums up how Trump's few loyalists fought off evil Broadcasting Air forces for the last two years . The RINOS like Romney, Ryan and McCain have also played their roles of Lord Halifax pushing for a surrender to the Hitler of our day.

DavidUW said...

Shorter NYtimes: you F*d up. You trusted us.

Michael K said...

The leftist media are now banning sources that got the story right.

USA Today refused an op-ed because it referenced National Review and the Federalist as sources.

Then came a shocker from Mastio: USA Today had instead decided to reject the submission because I cited The Federalist and National Review.

“Going forward, assertions of fact need to be backed up with mainstream media sources or original documents,” Mastio wrote. “Links to National Review or [T]he Federalist (or similar sites on the left) are not reliable.”

Ray - SoCal said...

The msm has been biased, now it’s just easier to see the alternatives.

10 Reasons:

1. Change of journalism from blue to White Collar work. So called professionalism.
2. Huge Reduction in revenue due to classified ads.
3. Creation of other channels (Internet) for news, besides printed.
4. Reduction in advertising revenue due to online advertising that can be tracked.
5. Reduction in newspaper readership.
6. Increase in competition for news, due to reduction in delivery costs (Internet).
7. Not enough people willing to pay for subscription sites. Idea news should be free.
8. Cost reduction that reduced quality of reporting, especially local and foreign.
9. Mythology of watergate, every reporter now aspires to be the next Bernstein. Only problem was Russiagates Deepthroats got outed...
10. Left ideology / brainwashing in J School. Part of larger problem of elite schools huge move to the left.

buwaya said...

In a not too tangential an aside, I just bought Marini's "Unmasking the Administrative State", available on Amazon Kindle. Marini was the writer of the "Cato the Elder" essays in the "Journal of American Greatness", 2015-16. That site was shut down and erased before the 2016 election. I believe that was done as it was academic samizdat and some contributors may have been professionally threatened.

Prompted by Michael Anton's post on the Claremont blog.

Marini/Cato's essays rank with Angelo Codevillas.

In order to come to grips with masses of information as to the political-strategic situation one must create a series of models to try for fit, in order to organize evidence. The Codevilla model is very reliable. It is helpful in answering Cohen's implicit question as to, for instance, the motives of the NYT.

Fernandinande said...

On August 8, 2016, the trend-setting New York Times published on its front page an astonishing

Was anyone astonished?

editorial manifesto by its media critic.

"Repentance"

Here is an excellent mixed-media installation called "Provocation".

mockturtle said...

Nothing here that most of us didn't already know. Mr. Cohen should read this blog.

Mr. Majestyk said...

@robother
I doubt the Deep State's opposition to Trump rests principally on a desire for perpetual global conflict. I think it more likely that it's opposition stems from his status as a true outsider willing to make (some) changes to the entrenched system on issues such as immigration, trade, and regulation.

Henry said...

Utilitarian arguments, like those at the heart of Cohen's article, never work. People are unpersuadable by logic.

Big Mike said...

Nice to see someone from the left side of the political aisle disturbed by efforts to restart the Cold War. And I really enjoyed seeing Rachel Maddow’s glum face top dead center in the article. But I leave everyone with a question — the magazine lamenting the fallout from Russiagate being The Nation, would they care as much if it was any country other than Russia?

Wince said...

A few good things may come out of this, like revealing the people of good faith on either side of the ideological fence — like Cohen, Tiabbi and Greenwald on the left — as separate from the Deep State corruptocrats and mouthpieces.

People here on the right should also learn that lesson and take it permanently to heart.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The hack media are trying to save Adam Schiffty-D. So pathetic. F the media.

buwaya said...

Cohen, in the Nation, cites a piece by Starobin in the City Journal (of the conservative Manhattan Institute, frequent publisher of, for instance, Theodore Dalrymple).

It is true, cats and dogs are living together. Their connection is, of course, that they are all outsiders.

Mike Sylwester said...

I heard that Robert "The FBI Whitewasher" Mueller found that Carter Page really is a spy for Russian Intelligence. Mueller wrote the proof in his report.

However, William Barr left that finding out of the summary that he released to the public.

Bruce Hayden said...

I also thought that the article was good in pointing out that this fake Russian collusion scandal has greatly reduced the flexibility that a President should have when dealing with major powers like Russia. Yes, they are often on the other side in disputes, but not always. For example, they and the Chinese both face significant Islamic terrorism threats, though both seem to quell their internal Muslim problems with massive repression, far more aggressive than anything that we would accept in the enlightened west. We do have some common interests with both of these countries, and should be able to work with them when that is the case, and until recently, since the fall of the USSR, we had been working with the Russians when our interests aligned. Compounding this, in places we and they have surrogates, and when we can’t cooperate with the Russians, that means that our surrogates often can’t cooperate with Russian surrogates.

robother said...

EDU: "People here on the right should also learn that lesson..."

The Never-Trumpers are here to constantly remind us of who the Deep State corruptocrats and mouthpieces on the "right" really are.

Mike Sylwester said...

Another leftist publication that has criticized the RussiaGate hoax consistently and effectively is Consortium News.

Jersey Fled said...

The comments here are far more cogent than those at The Nation. One dumbell there claimed that Bill Clinton was jailed for lying. He was only mildly corrected by their commentariate. Just goes to show how ill informed they are and how tolerant they are of it.

Bruce Hayden said...

“I heard that Robert "The FBI Whitewasher" Mueller found that Carter Page really is a spy for Russian Intelligence. Mueller wrote the proof in his report.

However, William Barr left that finding out of the summary that he released to the public.“

I don’t find that credible, but understand their desperation as the Deep State is exposed for having used its powers in our government against candidate, then President Trump. What is missing there, likely skipped over intentionally, is that Carter Page had a history of working with the FBI in foreign espionage cases, and apparently approached them several times during the 2016 election cycle, and was ignored. And, the FBI then asserted, under oath, essentially that the only way to find out what Page was doing was with the court issuing a FISA warrant. Just as it is likely that the FISC wouldn’t have issued those FISA warrants for Page (allowing much of the Trump campaign, transition, and top Administration to be electronically surveiled by the intelligence community) if they had known the stent of Page’s past cooperation, as well as his overtures for cooperation at the time, similarly their entire narrative would be blown up if this became public. They desperately need Carter Page to have been a Russian spy, because otherwise the Deep State will be seen to have grossly abused their powers for partisan reasons, and just because Mueller didn’t condemn Page for being a Russian spy, doesn’t mean that he wasn’t one. While many buying into this last narrative are in serious denial, this is a necessary fiction for those on the inside trying to prevent their plot from collapsing, and them finding themselves all in prison.

Friendo said...

Buwaya @ 8:53: great referral to Michael Anton's post on the Claremont blog. A great summary of Marini's writings and concrete summary of how and why we're at this polical/cultural/societal juncture. Much appreciated.

Mike Sylwester said...

I heard that Robert "The FBI Whitewasher" Mueller found that George Papadopoulos really is a spy for Russian Intelligence. Mueller wrote the proof in his report.

However, William Barr left that finding out of the summary that he released to the public.

Temujin said...

'You have to throw out the textbook American journalism has been using for the better part of the past half-century.'

You could just remove and change a few words from the above phrase and the NY Times would have, finally, gotten something right:
You have to throw out American journalism for the better part of the next half-century.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee should refuse to give Schiff a quorum, hamstring the entire committee until he resigns. What’s more progressive than an old fashioned work stoppage?

tcrosse said...

However, William Barr left that finding out of the summary that he released to the public.

Chest-pounding.

Michael K said...

his status as a true outsider willing to make (some) changes to the entrenched system on issues such as immigration, trade, and regulation.

Good quote from another blog that does not have moderation.

Pournelle’s Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people:
First, there will be those who are devoted to the goals of the organization. Examples are dedicated classroom teachers in an educational bureaucracy, many of the engineers and launch technicians and scientists at NASA, even some agricultural scientists and advisors in the former Soviet Union collective farming administration.

Secondly, there will be those dedicated to the organization itself. Examples are many of the administrators in the education system, many professors of education, many teachers union officials, much of the NASA headquarters staff, etc.
The Iron Law states that in every case the second group will gain and keep control of the organization. It will write the rules, and control promotions within the organization.


It's rice bowls after all. This is what Trump threatens.

Mountain Maven said...

If the left can call us Hitler, then they have to accept being called Stalinist. Not Stalin, Stalinist.

Mike Sylwester said...

I heard that Robert "The FBI Whitewasher" Mueller found that Michael Flynn really is a spy for Russian Intelligence. Mueller wrote the proof in his report.

However, William Barr left that finding out of the summary that he released to the public.

rcocean said...

Weird that Cohen's go-to analogy is about the USSR and Stalinism. But then we're always talking about Hitler Trump, why not liberal MSM Stalin?

Drago said...

"But both Cohen and The Nation understand what a vicious little frame-up job this bullshit Russian investigation was."

Other notable figures on the Left who have been calling this hoax driven Coup out for what it is have been Glenn Greenwald (also banished by the MSM) and lefty comedian/pundit abd The Young Turks alumni Jimmy Dore.

Both Glenn Greenwald and Dore have excoriated the collusion truthers and LLR's for their abject stupidity and illogic: why would Stone have to contact wikileaks about the emails if there was already deep collusion between Trump and Putin?!

Why would some Fusion GPSer have to set up a meeting with Don Jr if there was already a long-running deep collusion between Trump and Putin?!

Why would Jared Kushner have to set up a backchannel to Putin if there was already deep collusion between Trump and Putin?!

You have to reach LLR Chuck levels of stupitity to believe all these 2+2=5 scenarios are REAL.

And NOW we learn that Brennan lied under oath AGAIN when he said that the hoax dossier was never used as part of the now clearly fake ICA report in Dec'16/Jan'17.

We now know that pack of lies was CENTRAL to that fake report.

I cant wait till all that info is declassified and all of the LLR deep state coup plotter heroes have to answer questions under oath about that revealed info.

Original Mike said...

“I heard that Robert "The FBI Whitewasher" Mueller found that Carter Page really is a spy for Russian Intelligence. Mueller wrote the proof in his report."

Really? When will he be charged?

Drago said...

Mike Sylvester perfectly captures the newest variations of the lefty/LLR collusion fever dreams!

Ralph L said...

The HPSCI used to be one of the least partisan committees in Congress. Ranking Member Cheney had considerable power and influence in the 80's, only partly because Lee Hamilton was a squish.

Captain BillyBob said...

Now we have some proof of the extraordinary levels of deceit and corruption at the highest levels of government, politics and the media. What happens next?
More investigations?
Then what?
Unless the people, agencies and organizations are punished, severely punished, all this deceit and corruption will continue.
Does anyone see that happening?

Drago said...

Well, isnt this INTERESTING: yesterday, the very day someone from the intel community leaked the story that Commie-voter/Muslim Brotherhood Fanboy Brennan lied to Congress about the hoax dossier not being a key component of the now exposed fake IC report of Jan '17, Brennan decided it would be a good time to huddle up with the democrats in the House....

...just yesterday...out of the blue...

Looks like Team Left/Dem/LLR is attempting to get their stories straight before all the declassified documents start hitting the airwaves....

Mike Sylwester said...

Bruce Hayden at 9:43 AM
... Carter Page had a history of working with the FBI in foreign espionage cases, and apparently approached them several times during the 2016 election cycle, and was ignored.

In 2014, Carter Page participated in an FBI operation to trap and prosecute Evgeny Buryakov, a Russian Intelligence officer who was working as a Russian bank employee in the USA. As part of the trap, Page pretended to Buryakov that he (Page) was promoting a project to develop a casino in Russia.

Therefore I speculate that Page was involved already in 2014 in Trump's idea of developing a casino hotel in Russia.

In that same year, 2014, Page was subjected to a FISA investigation by the FBI.

I speculate that Page had been involved with Buryakov, and so the FBI used that knowledge 1) to obtain the 2014 FISA warrant against Page and 2) to compel Page to cooperate in the FBI's effort to trap and prosecute Buryakov in 2014.

Then the FBI continued its FISA investigation of Page from 2014 to 2017. Through this continuing investigation, the FBI learned about Michael Cohen's role in Trump's project to build a hotel in Russia. Both Page and Cohen were involved somehow in Trump's project. Cohen's involvement in Trump's Moscow-hotel project is why the NSA database was searched for information about Cohen's travels abroad.

-----

In 2016 the Dossier reinforced the FBI's long-existing suspicions about Page. The Dossier's author, Christopher Steele, supposedly was told by Russian Intelligence insiders that Page still was working for Trump and also for Russian Intelligence.

If Page ever was involved in Trump's project to develop a casino (hotel) in Russia, then that aspect has been kept secret to the present.

Martin said...

Of course they have "no regrets," they knew exactly what they were doing (i.e., what lies they were promulgating) at every step of the way.

What I find interesting is that they never, even now, saw any need to try to cover it up. They just baldly lie to our faces and dare us to do anything about it.

Time to overturn Sullivan. The UK media seem to get along OK without it.

tcrosse said...

"I heard that Robert "The FBI Whitewasher" Mueller found that Carter Page really is a spy for Russian Intelligence. Mueller wrote the proof in his report."

I heard that Prince Charming awakened Snow White with a kiss.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Brennan should be in prison.

Achilles said...

robother said...
The Deep State has effectively turned the MSM into its propaganda outlet, while undermining the faith of Americans in elections (far more than any Trump complaints ever could do). As Orwell sensed, the ground of every Deep State is war, the sense that there is an eternal EastAsia we have always been at war with.

The deep state and the media serve the same masters.

General Eletric is bankrupt. There are dozens of crony businesses going bankrupt right now, but the US economy is booming.

All of this is over the largest rice bowl in the world, the us government.

Trump is breaking rice bowls. The globalists who own the media and the deep state want them back.

Yancey Ward said...

I linked this essay by ZMan yesterday that describes what is happening with RussiaGate. I quoted the funniest bit of the essay that makes the main point, but here is quote that is probably a clearer summary of the essay's main point:

"To normal people, the Russian collusion stuff was always a nutty conspiracy theory. It seemed obvious that the point of the Russian collusion narrative was to distract people from the fact the Obama White House was engaged in activity that would have made Nixon blush. If there was a conspiracy, it was the media running cover for the crooks in the Obama administration.

This understanding blinded people to what could be the most important part of the Russian collusion story. The Left really believed it.
"

Me again:

ZMan is correct- the most important thing to take away from this is the most of those on the Left really believed Trump was a Russian agent. They believe it even with Mueller closing up shop and indicting no one for being such. They will believe it after the full report is released in the next month. For people like Inga, there is literally no level of evidence that will ever convince her otherwise. It is superpower level obtuseness.

Sam L. said...

Two more reasons to despise, detest, and distrust the NYT and WaPoo.

Mike Sylwester said...

I heard that Robert "The FBI Whitewasher" Mueller found that Joseph Mifsud really is a spy for Russian Intelligence. Mueller wrote the proof in his report.

However, William Barr left that finding out of the summary that he released to the public.

Bay Area Guy said...

One of the basic, fundamental things that made no sense about this Russian fraudulent hoax claim promoted by the Dems was their bizarre demonization of Vlad Putin.

Prior to 1989, the USSR was a nuclear menace to the world, and led by Stalin, Kruschev, Brezhnev, Chernenko, Andropov and Gorbachev -- all of whom were Communist miscreants. Gorby was a useful tool for our side -- Bless his heart. He thought he could reform Communism with a few tweaks, and ended up destroying it.

After 1989, Russia has been lead by Yeltsin and Putin. Sure, they have a lotta oligarchs and gangsters. Post Commie Russia is very messy. All true.

But it's a heluva lot better than when the Berlin Wall was up, when they were invading countries (Hungary 1956, Czechoslovakia 1968, Afghanistan 1980) and trying to install nuclear missiles in Cuba, a few miles from Florida (1962).

In other words, Putin is AN IMPROVEMENT over past Soviet dictators. Maybe, a minor setback from Yeltsin, but, on the whole, historically, they are slowly moving in the right direction.

Why do the Dems hate Putin, but appeased Stalin and Kruschev and Brezhnev?

Jupiter said...

"Almost equally remarkable and lamentable, we learn that even now, after Mueller’s finding is known, top executives of the Times and other leading Russiagate media outlets, including The Washington Post and CNN, 'have no regrets.'"

When your image of yourself as a moral being involves imagining that things like recycling aluminum cans and buying organic vegetables are moral actions, it is not much of a stretch to suppose that promoting the RussiaGate investigation was virtuous, even though it had no factual basis. No mistakes were made. To the contrary. Virtue was signaled, as it should and must be.

Bay Area Guy said...

How is it possible that (1) the Nation editorial page and (2) Dr. Cohen writing for the Nation (and married to the Nation's editor, Katrina Vanden Heuvel) have a ton more understanding of the Russian frame-up than Adam Schiff (D-Cal) -- the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee?

The Demcrats are a sorry ass group of people.

Mike Sylwester said...

I heard that Robert "The FBI Whitewasher" Mueller found that Natalia Veselnitskaya promised Donald Trump, Jr., that Russia would double its purchase of Facebook ads in exchange for a promise to repeal the Magnitsky Act.

However, William Barr left that finding out of the summary that he released to the public.

Trumpit said...

Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990, and liberalized the Soviet Union before it collapsed. Putin is a murderous Mafioso. Trump is lacking in substance - an example of self-aggrandizement, persistent dissembling, and sloganeering, i.e., MAGA, "Fake News," "No Collusion," etc. He doesn't believe in Global Warming in spite of the scientific evidence. Ironically, he emits farts and gassy hot air daily. Putin's a bad man, but knows better than to clownishly tweet his evil dictates to his brainwashed subjects.

narciso said...

basically,


http://strategycounsel.blogspot.com/2019/03/russia-trump-mueller-and-endless.html

narciso said...

now there's this:


https://twitter.com/JordanSchachtel/status/1111693370454355973

Michael McNeil said...

But I leave everyone with a question — the magazine lamenting the fallout from Russiagate being The Nation, would they care as much if it was any country other than Russia?

Good question! That might be part of explaining why The Nation's internal culture found itself outside the mental fog of the Democrat's newfangled Russia obsession, congesting almost everybody else on the left.

I imagine much the same thing is true about Glenn Greenwald and (maybe) Matt Taibbi. I don't know much about either one's past career, but I have the distinct impression that Greenwald (and perhaps Taibbi) have long been fervent opponents of (post-9/11) elements of the U.S. “security state” authorized by (e.g.) the Patriot Act, together with the Federal agencies implementing this security apparatus such as the CIA, FBI, the FISA courts, military, and so forth — an attitude originating for them (I imagine) way back in the day (it seems like ancient history) when it was cool for Democrats to oppose such things.

Doing a 180 from such an attitude to the exact opposite position, demanded by the Russiagate hoorah, of total acceptance of every word from such agencies and present and former heads thereof — despite how easy so many other Democrats and leftists have found that rotation to be — I think, was their bridge too far.

Sebastian said...

"The Real Costs of Russiagate/Its perpetrators, not Putin or Trump, 'attacked American democracy'"

As a Russophile, Cohen kept his eyes open. He could see what the blind left couldn't. But he doesn't quite go far enough, about the extent to which Russiagate was not "remarkable," but, as commentators on this blog pointed out years before Cohen published this, deliberate and instrumental, part of an ongoing prog campaign.

But why, Professor Cohen, is Russiagate a "lamentable" attack on American democracy? Isn't American democracy a bourgeois system to be reviled and changed? Isn't f**ing the system what the left wants? Don't you love the fact that the "intelligence community" has now also turned left? As a Russophile, don't you like the fact that the Russians successfully spawned discord in America and increased lefty hatred of our leaders?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Yancey Ward @ 11:55 - you nailed it.

The left believe what they want to believe.

Michael K said...

Ace has an interesting example of why MSNBC is a branch of the DNC.

0. After exchanging pleasantries, Dafna told me that she received a call from the DNC and was told I had a story. Now it's not strange that the DNC called her, they were coordinating an announcement. What was strange was that she was calling me and taking a menacing tone

11. She asked if I could hold the story and I said I couldn't. She was agitated, "why not?" I said I'm not going to lose a scoop. Then she got angrier and said "Why not? It's not a big deal, let them make a few phone calls."

12. I realized that @DafnaLinzer, the head of all political coverage for NBC News and MSNBC wasn't calling to advocate for her network, she was calling to advocate the DNC's position. She wanted me to wait so they could call state party leaders.


Interesting read,.

Robert Cook said...

"@robother
I doubt the Deep State's opposition to Trump rests principally on a desire for perpetual global conflict. I think it more likely that it's opposition stems from his status as a true outsider willing to make (some) changes to the entrenched system on issues such as immigration, trade, and regulation.

3/29/19, 8:59 AM"


Everything Trump is doing will benefit the rich more than anyone else, and, so far, despite making statements about ending wars and bringing home troops, Trump hasn't really undone the war machine. In short, he is an outsider in form, but basically an insider in terms of who benefits by his actions. And...whatever happens, he'll be out of office in a few years. The Deep State isn't too bothered with Trump. The entrenched system will still be entrenched in two to six years.

Robert Cook said...

"The left believe what they want to believe."

They aren't the only ones.

Rory said...

"Why do the Dems hate Putin, but appeased Stalin and Kruschev and Brezhnev?"

Mmmmm...could it be, perhaps, that their ideology of today is rooted in disinformation that came from Stalin and Khruschev and Brezhnev?

Robert Cook said...

"Prior to 1989, the USSR was a nuclear menace to the world, and led by Stalin, Kruschev, Brezhnev, Chernenko, Andropov and Gorbachev -- all of whom were Communist miscreants."

No more so (and probably less so, given our greater hubris) than the nuclear menace posed by the U.S., run by capitalist miscreants.

narciso said...

Russia is another third world regime, like Horthy's hungary at this point, now cohen for some reason has attachment to mother Russia, as with his complaints against the Ukraine for existing,

Michael K said...

Everything Trump is doing will benefit the rich more than anyone else,<

Come on, Cookie. Look out the window. Why do you think workers, many of whom are in unions, love what Trump is doing ?

Drago said...

Trumpit: "Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990, and liberalized the Soviet Union before it collapsed."

LOL

Gorbachev did everything he could to save communism and....failed.

Gorbachev thought he could dip his little toes ever so slightly into the relaxing State Rules pool and it got away from him.

Lefties only want to credit him so they dont have to credit Reagan, or Thatcher, or Pope John Paul, or the Solidarity/Anti-communist movement in Poland, etc.

Basically, only the commies get credit in lefty History re-writes.

Michael K said...

Sorry, Cookie. You have my sympathy.

The March gain was entirely due to households with incomes in the bottom two-thirds of the income distribution, according to the survey’s chief economist Richard Curtin. Sentiment among households in the top third of incomes fell slightly.

“Middle and lower income households more frequently reported income gains than last month, although income gains were still widespread among upper income households. Indeed, the last time a larger proportion of households reported income gains was in 1966,” Curtin said.


I'm sure you will have better luck if a Democrat ever gets in again.

narciso said...

Those four were probably responsible for ths dths of 20-40 million.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Putin is the left's bogus scapegoat. It's ridiculous and they all know it, but they've all convinced themselves it's true.

Big Mike said...

You can explain to Cookie all you want that eliminating the SALT deduction caused a net ncrease in taxes to the rich that he so despises, but, bless his heart, he will never learn and never change.

narciso said...

Ghcqs old fool:
https://spectator.us/media-trump-russia-story-wrong/