https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...mp/516780/
This is a pretty balanced view. It's something to think about and be aware of.
My own reaction is, don't be a hypocrite. The left attacks the leaks that helped bring down Hillary Clinton, while the right defends them as just exposing the truth. Then the right attacks the leaks that helped bring down Michael Flynn, while the left defends them as just exposing the truth. There's hypocrisy on all sides. Meanwhile, our intelligence capabilities are so vast that nothing is secret any more, and selective leaking has become a major weapon in politics.
"Trump may want to change the subject, and his
imprecations about the danger of leaks look a lot like the tears of a crocodile, but that doesn’t mean the questions he raises aren’t important."
Trump has set himself up in opposition to the intelligence community and the media, and together, those two entities have the capability to bring him down. People on the left say, good, he needs to be stopped. But what if it was the other way around?
Read the article before you comment. It's something to think about- whether we really want the incredibly powerful intelligence community to take sides on political questions.
That's how most Americans should look at this and approach this. Too much divide and conquer in our country between the aisle. What made this country's political system great once upon a time is that it once truly felt like a Republic. Where the people's voices actually carried weight and meant something when you chose an elected representative to lead this country.
Somewhere along the line our fathers lost their way. And our founding fathers warned of this. Don't give into the international banking systems. Don't allow the economy to be governed and ruled by the few at the expense and costs of the many. We now live in a political system where an Oligarchy rules with the assistance of a Plutocracy that once was hidden to the public but has slowly been exposed election after election thanks to the information age.
We're tethering on the brink of seeing this great country being dictated by a society based and founded on the principles of totalitarian rule. That's scary. And all signs indicate that it's already nearing full tilt.
There is a huge difference in the two incidents. The Hillary information wasn't leaked, it was hacked by some still unknown group because they were lax in their InfoSec. The Flynn information was obtained and leaked by Americans in violation of American law and still hasn't been demonstrated to have been criminal. One exposed a crime, the other is a political character assassination.
More evidence the guy shouldn't have become President. Within days of taking office he turned the nations spies against him. Bravo.
Quote:There is a huge difference in the two incidents. The Hillary information wasn't leaked, it was hacked by some still unknown group because they were lax in their InfoSec. The Flynn information was obtained and leaked by Americans in violation of American law and still hasn't been demonstrated to have been criminal. One exposed a crime, the other is a political character assassination.
It had to be something more than political character assassination for Trump to fire the guy. But that's beside the point.
In both cases, our system was manipulated by unknown parties. In both cases, crimes were committed. In both cases, one side applauded and the other side cried foul.
It's definitely hypocritical. During the campaign, Trump actually encouraged the hacking and leaking. But when it happens to him, all of a sudden, oh my God, we can't have this! And, of course, the same thing in reverse for the other side, which cried foul over what happened to Clinton but when Michael Flynn was the target, they applauded.
Besides, the real point is, there are powerful underground forces at work here. Read the article.
Quote:
Trump has set himself up in opposition to the intelligence community and the media, and together, those two entities have the capability to bring him down.
I actually disagree with that. The only entity with enough power to take down Trump might be the Republican congressional caucus. In order to achieve the tax cuts and health care reforms that he campaigned on he is going to need legislation. If he doesn't get that legislation then there is the possibility that Trumps core support may dissipate. If he does pass his domestic agenda and the economy is going at 3-4% with real job and wage growth then you could run Bernie, warren, Clinton, and the Obama kids and it wouldn't matter in 2020.
Richard Nixon was re-elected in 1972 with over 60% of the popular vote. His undoing wasn't rampant unpopularity, it wasn't a biased media. He was baited into an over reaction that caused him to cross an ethical line that no one could support. Yes, Trump will be leaked on, he will be annoyed sometimes even embarrassed. But the people aren't blind. The idea of a media/permanent state oligarchy trying to defeat the populist champion just strengthens and grows his base of electoral support. Trump, and his administration, have to handle the situation through the proper channels and not get baited into doing something truly against the laws or ethics of the country. We don't need to see bugs at the Washington post or break ins at CNN. anything short of that and you will just see a fervent media trying to demonize a president and in turn flipping off the 60-65% of the country that can agree with 60-65% of the things that Trump proposes.
Quote:More evidence the guy shouldn't have become President. Within days of taking office he turned the nations spies against him. Bravo.
You dislike the guy so much you are willing to sacrifice the safety of your family to prove your point. Solid.
I can see the new buzz word is "intelligence community" as if the entire CIA, NSA, FBI, ect. is aligned against Trump. They aren't. Some are, yes.
I actually doubt that the Michael Flynn leaks came from the intelligence community. Trump was informed about the phone calls in question several weeks before all this became public and he fired Flynn. If Trump knew it, you know others in the administration knew it. And from many reports, there is a lot of infighting in the administration, competing power centers, some of whom did not like Mike Flynn. I wouldn't doubt the Flynn leaks came from someone right next to Trump.
I don't think this is difficult to see at all.
This was all set up to protect the failed legacy of the previous regime, and to sustain power with those whose ideology were rejected at the polls.
It's commonplace in lesser forms of government in smaller countries all the time, so that one sect will hold on to power even if they do not win elections.
And we've been reduced to this. The greatest country with the greatest form of government completely undermined by lust of power from those who don't win elections.
And remember about these "leaks." There was no evidence of wrongdoing here.
Plant the seed, sway the opinion. The war of perception. Control of perception by deception.
This has been brewing for a long, long time for the purpose of just that.
That's the danger in career politicians, they and their minions become embedded in the system. It's not what was intended of and from our government. It's a way of persistence of power regardless of our elective systems.
Quote:I can see the new buzz word is "intelligence community" as if the entire CIA, NSA, FBI, ect. is aligned against Trump. They aren't. Some are, yes.
Just enough to "disrupt" and cause enough problems within their systems to achieve their goals.
Quote:That's how most Americans should look at this and approach this. Too much divide and conquer in our country between the aisle. What made this country's political system great once upon a time is that it once truly felt like a Republic. Where the people's voices actually carried weight and meant something when you chose an elected representative to lead this country.
Somewhere along the line our fathers lost their way. And our founding fathers warned of this. Don't give into the international banking systems. Don't allow the economy to be governed and ruled by the few at the expense and costs of the many. We now live in a political system where an Oligarchy rules with the assistance of a Plutocracy that once was hidden to the public but has slowly been exposed election after election thanks to the information age.
We're tethering on the brink of seeing this great country being dictated by a society based and founded on the principles of totalitarian rule. That's scary. And all signs indicate that it's already nearing full tilt.
Precisely. We began to bastardize it, and some politicians even began to study the Constitution for the sole reason to end run it (like the way a thief stakes a case.)
Quote:I actually doubt that the Michael Flynn leaks came from the intelligence community. Trump was informed about the phone calls in question several weeks before all this became public and he fired Flynn. If Trump knew it, you know others in the administration knew it. And from many reports, there is a lot of infighting in the administration, competing power centers, some of whom did not like Mike Flynn. I wouldn't doubt the Flynn leaks came from someone right next to Trump.
It's Reince Preibus
Democrats working hard since their party has become completely irrelevant to take down Trump with them. It won't happen. Sad that the former Obama staffers are severely dividing this nation and inciting violence among left-wingers. If they succeed in causing civil war, it won't be pretty. The military, people with 95% of the guns, and the majority of critical laborers all stand on the opposite side of the left-wing agitators, and with Trump.
Quote:Democrats working hard since their party has become completely irrelevant to take down Trump with them. It won't happen. Sad that the former Obama staffers are severely dividing this nation and inciting violence among left-wingers. If they succeed in causing civil war, it won't be pretty. The military, people with 95% of the guns, and the majority of critical laborers all stand on the opposite side of the left-wing agitators, and with Trump.
Our truest, most dangerous enemy is from within. That's how we will fall. Divided, we
will fall. Unless we can truly stand united. But, unfortunately, some will never stand for that.
Quote:Our truest, most dangerous enemy is from within. That's how we will fall. Divided, we will fall. Unless we can truly stand united. But, unfortunately, some will never stand for that.
True.
So what do you do about them? Many of those who will never stand for that are showing their true colors.
Fragmentation? Two-state solution?
Purge?
It is hard to imagine the US ever becoming a "terror state" when 96+% of people still have food on the table, running water, and a home. However, if the daily lives of average individuals were to ever be severely interrupted, specifically those individuals who recognize that it's the left and their propaganda machine deliberately causing this chaos...oh boy.
I think it is getting real close to having to pull out the ol' sedition laws on some of these public agitators and deep state moles.
I'm not concerned with Democracy in this context. When intelligence agencies leak and get politically involved, it looks like we have a bunch of amateurs running the show over there. I don't have a lot of confidence in the government, but if an intelligence agency can't even keep a secret, I question their competence.
Quote:I'm not concerned with Democracy in this context. When intelligence agencies leak and get politically involved, it looks like we have a bunch of amateurs running the show over there. I don't have a lot of confidence in the government, but if an intelligence agency can't even keep a secret, I question their competence.
If it's incompetence and/or getting away from best practices that I assume would expose and purge leakers, I agree.
But there is a greater issue if that is truly purposeful action.
Regardless... it's quite the mess to have to clean up after. However, it's just a microcosm of what happens to unchecked, ever expanding government.
We're being driven into Cold War 2.0. That's what this is all about. It was reported not too long ago during Obama's closing months in office that their was a deal with Russia being worked out for peace in Syria.
That agreement was nixed and sabotaged deliberately by the intelligence agencies when we issued a strike in Syria and killed 100 some odd of their soldiers. So both parties are being undermined by power plays within the intelligence communities.
Billions of dollars could potentially be on the line here in our future over false pretenses and rigged motives. The media needs to report the more damning impacts of this rather than just harp on the current administration. They're robbing the people.
Deep State Leaker is my stripper name.