WE can’t. Unless we have seen Russian evidence (tapes, videos, signed documents, even an admission by one of his cohorts) there is literally no way to be certain.
With a lack of hard evidence what can we do? (And we are unlikely to get hard evidence, by the way: who is going to give it? Trump? Manafort? Cohen? Putin or some other high-ranking Russian officer? Please. Why on earth would they release any evidence they had? The Americans in the group could be tried for treason.
Let me give you some advice. If you ever commit treason, do not admit it. Deny, deny, deny.)
Instead, like most things nowadays we are forced to go on what we know of the situation and fall back on how we think the world works. What does the Big Picture look like to you? As for me I believe the document in the broad sense in that I think that Putin has connections too Putin(or connections to connections, more likely) and I honestly believe that he is in Putin’s pocket. I have since December 2015, in fact.
Why do I believe that? Well, when I look around in Europe I see the following:
I see a thin-skinned demogogue gaining power in Russia, promising to make it great again and becoming, through illegal means the riches man in the world; consistently taking actions to break up NATO; coincidentally journalists, politicians and rich people opposing him end up imprisoned or dead.
*I see loud demagogues gaining power in Hungary and Poland, running on loud-mouthed xenophobic platforms, promising to make their respective countries great again;
- I see a similar politician almost elected President in Austria;
- I see up-and-coming demagogues in France, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic
I see anti immigrant rhetoric and demonstrations in Slovakia and Poland and intense anti-refugee positions among Czechs
- I see rising hate crimes in Germany and nationalist parties gaining a little bit there
- I see a nationalist movement in the UK winning a vote that significantly weakens the EU and throws it somewhat into disarray(and the EU and NATO both back each other up)
- I also see a lot of ‘fake news’ in Czech media and on email list stirring up paranoia and discontent aimed at foreigners in the country(mostly fictitious foreigners as there are not, in fact, many migrants from Asia in the Czech Republic at all). I see stories all of a sudden complaining about black people in international supermarket chain ads, which probably use the same stock photos in every country — and which have featured people of color for literally years. And suddenly it’s a controversy and everybody is screaming about it.
- And, and this is crucial: there are significant ties to various Russian money sources supporting each and every one of these demagogues or would be movements across the EU.
Folks, this is not a political movement. It's a goddamn franchise operation.
Then, suddenly, out of the fucking blue I see another billionaire xenophobic demagogue who suddenly comes to power in the USA. Oh, and guess what? The first thing on his platform is in July is non-interference in Ukraine. Oh, and suddenly, he makes a lot of noise of not supporting NATO countries who are invaded, unless they pay him/the USA off.
Oh, and fake news galore. Hillary protects pedophiles! Hillary eats babies! Everything you know is wrong! You can trust no one! If Trump doesn’t win, it’s because the system is rigged!! Hillary will surely nuke russia!
Even if Trump hadn’t won, America would have suffered massive damage. What little faith there is , post-Watergate, from the American people regarding the institutions that order the country and the world has pretty much been destroyed and supplanted by unthinking hyperpartisanism. I see it my Facebook feed every day.
Look at the goddamn Christians!
Nowadays, the Christians are literally annointing a serial womanizing, sexual assault Comitting, obviously corrupt, venal, vain, ridiculous spoiled celebrity as God’s Chosen One.
They laugh at misfortunes. Mention Meghan Kelly by name and they hiss and screech like Donald Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers at her or anyone who doesn’t toe the Party line, which has now become -- who knows? The Party Line is whatever the fuck Donald says it is this evening. Double-think, triple-think, quadruple think...
There literally seems to be no moral center at all to the so-called Right Wing. I don’t even how they can call themselves “Right-wing” any more. I mean, they are not fiscally conservative; they have no traditional values, just a balls-out naked grasp for power. The community-minded libertarianism of yesterday has been replaced by a selfish cruel might-makes-right philosophy that revels pretty much in pure wickedness.
I digress.
So, anyway. For a guy like me, seeing this Big Picture like I do, I believe the report, for the most part.
Now, that is not to say that there are not inaccurracies and mistakes in it.(I understand there are even spelling errors! Shock! Horror! I hear that is an automatic offense deserving of downvotes from some quarters!)
And as far as the golden shower thing? Well at this point, who cares? It grabs headlines and jokes, but it’s not even remotely the worst thing in that document.
But me, I definitely believe that Trump is just another Putin puppet, in the end. It just fits in the Big Picture.
Whether willingly or through blackmail, I don’t know. There is a difference but the result is a country that is ruled from someone who is naturally hostile to it.
Let me ask you some questions.
Do you really think there is NO dirt to be had on Trump? A pussy grabbing, draft-dodging, womanizing freak who prides himself on cheating the system?
Do you really think that Putin is such an idiot as to NOT have access to this dirt? He is not an idiot. He has changed his constitution gotten rid of all of his political opponents and has come up on top of the largest criminal organization ON THE PLANET. He is literally the richest man on earth. You think he got that by playing Mr. Nice Guy?
Do you really think that Putin is just another Republican? Do you really think he has not been working non-stop to weaken NATO for the last ten or fifteen years? This is a man who literally cut off the gas to all of Easter Europe just to make another country do his bidding.
On the other hand....there is always this narrative...
Maybe reality looks like this:
- A TV superstar, with a genius for business, who, despite having
- billions of dollars and assets,
- mad fame,
- a gold toilet
- all the pussy he can grab,
- an incredibly hot wife,
- a DILF
- and a one-of-a-kind hairstyle
Despite having all these things, he is is consistently downtrodden and mistreated by a cold-hearted, downright mean press. (Conservative tears.)
But… He defies all odds and becomes president because he is sent by God Himself to deliver America from the doldrums of being the premier economy and world power of our time; while simultaneously ridding the USA of it’s long-fought bug-bears of racism, illegal immigration, drugs and homosexuality.
He then moves on to make peace in the Middle East, defeat ISIS. He forces Iran, China, North Korea, and, CUBA to bow down and kiss our collective ass, gets Mexico to pay for him to build a big-ass (and beautiful wall); meanwhile, manages to ban abortion, stops off in Oslo to get the Nobel Peace Prize. And creates more jobs than anyone God has ever put on this earth. He and Putin go play golf together reflecting on their golden benevolence.
So, whichever reality you believe is more plausible.
Pick one. Because there will be no real evidence.
And if there is, everyone will say it’s fake. So you have to rely on what you think is most plausible based on your private belief in what the Big Picture looks like.
Welcome to the 21st century.
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