I’m cautiously optimistic MSM is starting to view Trump as he is vs how they had wished he’d be (to lazily keep their access). Also Biden campaign is responding creatively on the socials and with ads rapidly. This is something Trump and MSM have found surprising; and it needs to continue. Keep the pressure on.
Listen in this video below to how ruthless Trump really is.
IMO Trump *would* have people who oppose him “disappeared” eg by having them thrown out of helicopters high above the ocean as did Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet Ugarte. And Republicans like Elise Stefanik would go along with whatever Trump says because they are so chicken.
To all Voting Americans. I will try and make this short.
I agree with Stephen regarding how our media - ever enthralled with sensationalism - often misses the point. Look - the whole damn world knows that Donald Trump is in Putin's back pocket. The proof, evidence, and facts are presented in From Democracy to Democrazy by Graham. Putin is not our "friend" as Trump states (another lie), but our enemy who threatens our very existence. Read below.
The Trump-Russia connection is a terrifying reality. The shadow cast by Putin over the landscape of American democracy and American lives, and his influence and CONTROL over Trump grows larger and darker by the moment.
The Trump followers - a unique modern phenomenon - have been unknowingly engaged in coercive control techniques (aka brainwashing) used daily by Donald Trump. Mass mind manipulation began in totalitarian countries about 100 years ago. It was used in China, Italy, Germany, Austria, and so on. Lo and behold we find the exact same methodologies used in the United States. It is defined as "telling lies over and over until it is perceived as the truth" (wikipedia) - like Trump's big lie about the election being stolen when Biden won in 2020 by over 8 million votes. Once a person is convinced there may be little to no independent thought. If a lie contains hatred - which is used daily by Trump - it releases a chemical in the human brain to enact violence - what we saw on January 6th. Jim Jones was a cult leader who amassed a following of about 900 persons. He told them all to drink KoolAid laced with poison and they all died. Hitler turned an entire peaceful nation into mass murderers who slaughtered over 6 million humans. BRAINWASHING WORKS!!!
I was at a book signing event at Barnes and Noble in Tucson, AZ. A middle-aged woman came up to me and said "I think Putin is a great leader." I opened my mouth to respond, but was so shocked that nothing came out. These were the EXACT same words used by Trump one week prior and right after Putin invaded Ukraine.
I agree with the multitude of others who think that Trump will not win in 2024 - but what happens if Russia hacking into our election process nudges Trump into office again? MicroSoft has proved that 58% of all cyber attacks into the U.S. come from Russia. This includes: food and supplies, gas and oil, military and security, and they have admitted to the 2016 election interference and said this will continue. The Russians appear to be way ahead of the U.S. in the use of automated propaganda and misinformation. Who knows if Americans are receiving correct information?
In 2008, Trump Jr. stated in a NY conference (www.businessinsider.com) that the Trump organization had received $100 million from Russian banks. Russian banks - who are all controlled by the KGB/FSB - DO NOT loan money to foreigners just to earn interest on the balance. They give money for 2 reasons: (1) launder black cash into a foreign country, and (2) to obligate a foreigner to work for Russia. Trump and his organization was receiving large sums of black cash (KGB payroll) - for whatever the reason - about 10 years or more before he became the President of the US.
Russians use three tools to enlist a foreigner: flattery, money, and beautiful women. Trump was susceptible to all three. I know this because I lived and worked in communist and dictator-led countries for about 20 years. I went through the wine and dine and flattery process several times, but managed to avoid enlistment. Trump, in his gullible and ignorant ways, did not. He was either caught and photographed with his pants down, or swayed by money given to the Trump organization after U.S. banks refused to loan him funds due to his four bankruptcies.
Trump (visited Russia many, many times after 1990) and acquired his brainwashing skills from Putin who spent his spy career in East Germany. Putin brought back the methodologies used by Hitler to Russia. In a book written in 1997 called The Foundations of Geopolitics (Putin was assumed to be the ghost writer of this book since it calls out his steps as the 2nd President of Russia), he declares his number one goal as President is the destruction of the U.S. democracy from within. - he is succeeding. He blames the U.S. for the destruction of the USSR and he wants revenge.
Americans do not understand much outside of our four walls (borders). If the Trump followers do not wake up from their cult-like mindless behavior - they will aid Putin in this destruction of our country and hand over the keys to our democracy without even a fight.
I agree with you 100%. Many Americans have no interest in hearing anything outside of the “greatness” of the United States. In their mind it’s a great place to live and they are exceptional because they live here. That makes them extremely susceptible to somebody like trump.
We can bad-mouth the MSM all we want for their horrible reporting, but we're missing the main problem: Trump has the MAGA Republicans in his back pocket and they will do nothing without his approval: approve new continuing resolutions to keep the government open, funding for Ukraine, a real border bill backed by Republicans in the Senate. He's already running the government through Speaker Johnson. Unless he dies, the US is in deep trouble. Is there anything in our Constitution that allows the sane politicians to shut him and his enablers up?
I contacted the NYT yesterday about their clickbait and both sides bullshit. I said my piece and it only took an hour to get an email from them. They were defensive of their reporting. They also posted 10 articles supporting their righteous journalism. Seems like I got their attention.
I replied with a November 20, 2023 article by Columbia Journalism Review titled Wrapped Front Pages. Let's see what they have to say about.
Yes, the mainstream media have always downplayed the abnormality of Donald Trump, and that includes his rapid descent into some kind of dementia. But I must point out again: the average voter DOES NOT READ the New York Times or the Washington Post. Average voters get their news from television and social media. This is not the time for a moral panic over legacy media bias. Let's wait until the campaigns rev up to run around like Chicken Little claiming that "The mass media are falling!"
You're right on the money: "He’s not even trying to hide that he aspires to become a dictator." Last November he declared that, as president, he won't consider himself bound to "support the Constitution." Then, mere days ago, Trump openly and maliciously undermined the Constitution. He openly declared that he will abuse the Office of the President to retaliate against people who exercised their First Amendment rights to support his political opponent.
Trump is good for clicks & outlets like the nyt & wapo are beholden to their shareholders to produce profits. At our expense & the expense of our democracy.
The mainstream American media is not up to the task of covering this election, since they are apparently either too naive and uninformed to critique Donald Trump, or are afraid to draw his ire by speaking truth to power, so we end up with nothingness coverage that is boring and not bright. Perhaps journalism school has taught them some legal risk aversion behaviors, but otherwise, the tired old "Biden is old," or" Biden is alienating the youth" is all they have. Now they are picking up the Republican narrative that Biden is not handling the border. Truth seems illusive for our press. We must do without them. I am grateful to Substacks writers like you, the independent press here and abroad for information.
Excellent piece.
I’m cautiously optimistic MSM is starting to view Trump as he is vs how they had wished he’d be (to lazily keep their access). Also Biden campaign is responding creatively on the socials and with ads rapidly. This is something Trump and MSM have found surprising; and it needs to continue. Keep the pressure on.
Listen in this video below to how ruthless Trump really is.
IMO Trump *would* have people who oppose him “disappeared” eg by having them thrown out of helicopters high above the ocean as did Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet Ugarte. And Republicans like Elise Stefanik would go along with whatever Trump says because they are so chicken.
Trump threatens Haley:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2ffx53xQsC/?
To all Voting Americans. I will try and make this short.
I agree with Stephen regarding how our media - ever enthralled with sensationalism - often misses the point. Look - the whole damn world knows that Donald Trump is in Putin's back pocket. The proof, evidence, and facts are presented in From Democracy to Democrazy by Graham. Putin is not our "friend" as Trump states (another lie), but our enemy who threatens our very existence. Read below.
The Trump-Russia connection is a terrifying reality. The shadow cast by Putin over the landscape of American democracy and American lives, and his influence and CONTROL over Trump grows larger and darker by the moment.
The Trump followers - a unique modern phenomenon - have been unknowingly engaged in coercive control techniques (aka brainwashing) used daily by Donald Trump. Mass mind manipulation began in totalitarian countries about 100 years ago. It was used in China, Italy, Germany, Austria, and so on. Lo and behold we find the exact same methodologies used in the United States. It is defined as "telling lies over and over until it is perceived as the truth" (wikipedia) - like Trump's big lie about the election being stolen when Biden won in 2020 by over 8 million votes. Once a person is convinced there may be little to no independent thought. If a lie contains hatred - which is used daily by Trump - it releases a chemical in the human brain to enact violence - what we saw on January 6th. Jim Jones was a cult leader who amassed a following of about 900 persons. He told them all to drink KoolAid laced with poison and they all died. Hitler turned an entire peaceful nation into mass murderers who slaughtered over 6 million humans. BRAINWASHING WORKS!!!
I was at a book signing event at Barnes and Noble in Tucson, AZ. A middle-aged woman came up to me and said "I think Putin is a great leader." I opened my mouth to respond, but was so shocked that nothing came out. These were the EXACT same words used by Trump one week prior and right after Putin invaded Ukraine.
I agree with the multitude of others who think that Trump will not win in 2024 - but what happens if Russia hacking into our election process nudges Trump into office again? MicroSoft has proved that 58% of all cyber attacks into the U.S. come from Russia. This includes: food and supplies, gas and oil, military and security, and they have admitted to the 2016 election interference and said this will continue. The Russians appear to be way ahead of the U.S. in the use of automated propaganda and misinformation. Who knows if Americans are receiving correct information?
In 2008, Trump Jr. stated in a NY conference (www.businessinsider.com) that the Trump organization had received $100 million from Russian banks. Russian banks - who are all controlled by the KGB/FSB - DO NOT loan money to foreigners just to earn interest on the balance. They give money for 2 reasons: (1) launder black cash into a foreign country, and (2) to obligate a foreigner to work for Russia. Trump and his organization was receiving large sums of black cash (KGB payroll) - for whatever the reason - about 10 years or more before he became the President of the US.
Russians use three tools to enlist a foreigner: flattery, money, and beautiful women. Trump was susceptible to all three. I know this because I lived and worked in communist and dictator-led countries for about 20 years. I went through the wine and dine and flattery process several times, but managed to avoid enlistment. Trump, in his gullible and ignorant ways, did not. He was either caught and photographed with his pants down, or swayed by money given to the Trump organization after U.S. banks refused to loan him funds due to his four bankruptcies.
Trump (visited Russia many, many times after 1990) and acquired his brainwashing skills from Putin who spent his spy career in East Germany. Putin brought back the methodologies used by Hitler to Russia. In a book written in 1997 called The Foundations of Geopolitics (Putin was assumed to be the ghost writer of this book since it calls out his steps as the 2nd President of Russia), he declares his number one goal as President is the destruction of the U.S. democracy from within. - he is succeeding. He blames the U.S. for the destruction of the USSR and he wants revenge.
Americans do not understand much outside of our four walls (borders). If the Trump followers do not wake up from their cult-like mindless behavior - they will aid Putin in this destruction of our country and hand over the keys to our democracy without even a fight.
WAKE UP AMERICA!!!
E. Graham
http://www.democrazy2020.org
I agree with you 100%. Many Americans have no interest in hearing anything outside of the “greatness” of the United States. In their mind it’s a great place to live and they are exceptional because they live here. That makes them extremely susceptible to somebody like trump.
We can bad-mouth the MSM all we want for their horrible reporting, but we're missing the main problem: Trump has the MAGA Republicans in his back pocket and they will do nothing without his approval: approve new continuing resolutions to keep the government open, funding for Ukraine, a real border bill backed by Republicans in the Senate. He's already running the government through Speaker Johnson. Unless he dies, the US is in deep trouble. Is there anything in our Constitution that allows the sane politicians to shut him and his enablers up?
I contacted the NYT yesterday about their clickbait and both sides bullshit. I said my piece and it only took an hour to get an email from them. They were defensive of their reporting. They also posted 10 articles supporting their righteous journalism. Seems like I got their attention.
I replied with a November 20, 2023 article by Columbia Journalism Review titled Wrapped Front Pages. Let's see what they have to say about.
That should read Warped not Wrapped. My bad.
Yes, the mainstream media have always downplayed the abnormality of Donald Trump, and that includes his rapid descent into some kind of dementia. But I must point out again: the average voter DOES NOT READ the New York Times or the Washington Post. Average voters get their news from television and social media. This is not the time for a moral panic over legacy media bias. Let's wait until the campaigns rev up to run around like Chicken Little claiming that "The mass media are falling!"
Let’s not forget talk radio. An underrated supply of gold for the RW.
Absolutely!
You're right on the money: "He’s not even trying to hide that he aspires to become a dictator." Last November he declared that, as president, he won't consider himself bound to "support the Constitution." Then, mere days ago, Trump openly and maliciously undermined the Constitution. He openly declared that he will abuse the Office of the President to retaliate against people who exercised their First Amendment rights to support his political opponent.
Trump’s confessions are so clear they should make America gape again (not only in astonishment, but even in actual fear of a tyrant (again) showing how he will abuse “his” powers). For related thoughts see https://open.substack.com/pub/blackcollarcrime/p/if-you-support-the-constitution-you?r=30ufvh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcome=true
Trump is good for clicks & outlets like the nyt & wapo are beholden to their shareholders to produce profits. At our expense & the expense of our democracy.
The mainstream American media is not up to the task of covering this election, since they are apparently either too naive and uninformed to critique Donald Trump, or are afraid to draw his ire by speaking truth to power, so we end up with nothingness coverage that is boring and not bright. Perhaps journalism school has taught them some legal risk aversion behaviors, but otherwise, the tired old "Biden is old," or" Biden is alienating the youth" is all they have. Now they are picking up the Republican narrative that Biden is not handling the border. Truth seems illusive for our press. We must do without them. I am grateful to Substacks writers like you, the independent press here and abroad for information.
MSNBC critiques him every single day, most of the day.
Thank thank goodness I don't watch MSNBC, or any other television news in the US for that matter. It would annoy me too much!
MSM needs to show more of the 'unvarnished' trump instead of cherry picking the most palatable sound bites.
Good piece, but no suggestions on what to do about all this.
Re: the cover photo.
Why is someone hiding under a table, and is TFG on a boat? I'd never been sure if he's actually stood at an angle like that, but here we are.
cf: the camera angles in the [crooked] villains’ hideouts portrayed in the Batman TV series in the 1960’s https://youtu.be/NSyKsd0T7QA?