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[KernelPanic]

Really good article on why the GOP is cozy with Russia. Good read.

On issues including gun rights, terrorism and same-sex marriage, many leading advocates on the right who grew frustrated with their country’s leftward tilt under President Barack Obama have forged ties with well-connected Russians and come to see that country’s authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin, as a potential ally.

Top officials from the National Rifle Association, whose annual meeting Friday featured an address by Trump for the third time in three years, traveled to Moscow to visit a Russian gun manufacturer and meet government officials.

About the same time in December 2015, evangelist Franklin Graham met privately with Putin for 45 minutes, securing from the Russian president an offer to help with an upcoming conference on the persecution of Christians. Graham was impressed, telling The Washington Post that Putin “answers questions very directly and doesn’t dodge them like a lot of our politicians do.”

“Is it possible that these are just well-meaning people who are reaching out to Americans with shared interests? It is possible,” said Steven L. Hall, who retired from the CIA in 2015 after managing Russia operations for 30 years. “Is it likely? I don’t think it’s likely at all. . . . My assessment is that it’s definitely part of something bigger.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...83ff6-29d3-11e7-a616-d7c8a68c1a66_story.html?

Edit: too funny not to post:

Preston, an expert on Russian law whose office features a white porcelain bust of Putin, said he had told Tennessee friends for years not to believe television reports about the Russian leader having journalists or dissidents killed.

Preston was an international observer of the 2011 legislative elections in Russia, which sparked mass street protests in Moscow charging electoral irregularities. But Preston said he concluded that the elections were free and fair.

By contrast, Preston said he and Torshin saw violations of U.S. law — pro-Obama signs posted too close to a polling place — when Torshin traveled to Nashville to observe voting in the 2012 presidential election.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Both are full of bigots. So they have that in common.

 

[the_batman]

how they found allies in Russia? hmm, how about the fact that the Russian government wants to destabilize the US so they can gain power, and of course the soulless republicans fell for it.

 

[dpunk3]

They want total control, Putin has total control. Pretty easy parallel to make.

 

[The Kree]

I hate fags.

Me too.

Did we just become best friends?

Yup!

 

[Lord Frieza]

Hits close to home for me, too, I live just about an hour away from Nashville. But I'm not surprised.

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

Yeah, that sounds about right.

 

[Lord Frieza]

Really feels like we've lost our country when you read articles like this. Powerful people (within their field anyway) selling out to Russia at the drop of a dime, no major political power, and a police force that's growing more and more right-wing.

 

[Engell]

not sure allies is the right word

 

[the_batman]

not sure allies is the right word

right, they're the Russians' pawns.

 

[Lord Frieza]

not sure allies is the right word

right, they're the Russians' pawns.

Pawns are still allies, they are just expandable allies that are a means to an ends over a long term ally

 

[SuperBanana]

Anyone who thinks Russia is actually allies with them is a fool. The Republicans think they found an allies but in reality Putin has found the perfect puppets to destabilize America and topple its world control. In fact, there are literally far-right wing Russian books that describe these tactics nearly word for word. Russia can never defeat America in a war but they can cripple it from within.

Edit: The book is by a far-right fascist scientist. Aleksandr Dugin.

In Europe:
France should be encouraged to form a "Franco-German bloc" with Germany. Both countries have a "firm anti-Atlanticist tradition". - Le Pen in France. Though struggling with Germany.
The United Kingdom should be cut off from Europe. - Done
Ukraine should be annexed by Russia because "Ukraine as a state has no geopolitical meaning, no particular cultural import or universal significance, no geographic uniqueness, no ethnic exclusiveness, its certain territorial ambitions represents an enormous danger for all of Eurasia and, without resolving the Ukrainian problem, it is in general senseless to speak about continental politics". Ukraine should not be allowed to remain independent, unless it is cordon sanitaire, which would be inadmissible. - Crimea and current war.

In the Middle East and Central Asia:
Russia needs to create "geopolitical shocks" within Turkey. These can be achieved by employing Kurds, Armenians and other minorities. - Under dictatorship

In Asia:
China, which represents a danger to Russia, "must, to the maximum degree possible, be dismantled". Dugin suggests that Russia start by taking Tibet-Xinjiang-Mongolia-Manchuria as a security belt.[2] Russia should offer China help "in a southern direction – Indochina (except Vietnam), the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia" as geopolitical compensation. - The constant attacks by Trump focused at China

The book emphasizes that Russia must spread Anti-Americanism everywhere: "the main 'scapegoat' will be precisely the U.S." - It was happening under Obama, now has slowed under Trump.

In the United States:
Russia should use its special services within the borders of the United States to fuel instability and separatism, for instance, provoke "Afro-American racists". Russia should "introduce geopolitical disorder into internal American activity, encouraging all kinds of separatism and ethnic, social and racial conflicts, actively supporting all dissident movements – extremist, racist, and sectarian groups, thus destabilizing internal political processes in the U.S. It would also make sense simultaneously to support isolationist tendencies in American politics." - Done

 

[Maledict]

Pawns are still allies, they are just expandable allies that are a means to an ends over a long term ally

I'm sure from the republican side of things they see the Russians the same way. To them, American Conservatism is what made America strong and great. So Russians funding them and giving them resources to win just means America will be stronger in the long term.

 

[Lord Frieza]

I'm sure from the republican side of things they see the Russians the same way. To them, American Conservatism is what made America strong and great. So Russians funding them and giving them resources to win just means America will be stronger in the long term.

Yeah, but they're, by and large, idiots who really have no idea what they're doing or getting into in the long run. And Putin isn't, unfortunately.

 

[Phoenix RISING]

Yeah, but they're, by and large, idiots who really have no idea what they're doing or getting into in the long run. And Putin isn't, unfortunately.

You believe that Purina is smarter?

Nixon deployed the Southern Strategy before most of us were born. When was the last time a state besides FL under the Mason Dixon turned blue?

 

[Maledict]

You believe that Purina is smarter?

Nixon deployed the Southern Strategy before most of us were born. When was the last time a state besides FL under the Mason Dixon turned blue?

Um,

1992: Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, West Virginia,
1996: Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, West Virgina, Kentucky

And in 1976 (the election post southern strategy), Carter won the entirely of the south below the Mason Dixie line.

 

[hobblygobbly]

These idiots have no idea that the Kremlin helps both left and right groups within Russia itself when they stand to gain an advantage. The Kremlin does not give a fuck about your ideology or being ally, just how you can be used to further their strategies.

In Germany, Putin/Kremlin has allies in far-left and far-right. It uses different tactics however, the far-left in Germany (and other parts of Europe) is primarily driven by anti-American sentiment, which the Kremlin taps into, because far-left sees Kremlin as the only country that stands up to the U.S. I know this because I am German and had friends of the far-left and people I used to know. There's a lot of stuff they tap into, even past stuff regarding DDR/Cold War.

The Kremlin even uses political opposition as pawns... when Kremlin is criticised domestically or internationally about not being democratic, they point to "how can political opposition exist and be allowed to operate freely if we are undemocratic?". As soon as opposition gets too powerful, the Kremlin works to stop it in the background with no links to them. They always let true opposition exist to a certain degree, so they can use it to deflect criticism.

 

[Lord Frieza]

Anyone who thinks Russia is actually allies with them is a fool. The Republicans think they found an allies but in reality Putin has found the perfect puppets to destabilize America and topple its world control. In fact, there are literally far-right wing Russian books that describe these tactics nearly word for word. Russia can never defeat America in a war but they can cripple it from within.

Edit: The book is by a far-right fascist scientist. Aleksandr Dugin.

In Europe:
France should be encouraged to form a "Franco-German bloc" with Germany. Both countries have a "firm anti-Atlanticist tradition". - Le Pen in France. Though struggling with Germany.
The United Kingdom should be cut off from Europe. - Done
Ukraine should be annexed by Russia because "Ukraine as a state has no geopolitical meaning, no particular cultural import or universal significance, no geographic uniqueness, no ethnic exclusiveness, its certain territorial ambitions represents an enormous danger for all of Eurasia and, without resolving the Ukrainian problem, it is in general senseless to speak about continental politics". Ukraine should not be allowed to remain independent, unless it is cordon sanitaire, which would be inadmissible. - Crimea and current war.

In the Middle East and Central Asia:
Russia needs to create "geopolitical shocks" within Turkey. These can be achieved by employing Kurds, Armenians and other minorities. - Under dictatorship

In Asia:
China, which represents a danger to Russia, "must, to the maximum degree possible, be dismantled". Dugin suggests that Russia start by taking Tibet-Xinjiang-Mongolia-Manchuria as a security belt.[2] Russia should offer China help "in a southern direction – Indochina (except Vietnam), the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia" as geopolitical compensation. - The constant attacks by Trump focused at China

The book emphasizes that Russia must spread Anti-Americanism everywhere: "the main 'scapegoat' will be precisely the U.S." - It was happening under Obama, now has slowed under Trump.

In the United States:
Russia should use its special services within the borders of the United States to fuel instability and separatism, for instance, provoke "Afro-American racists". Russia should "introduce geopolitical disorder into internal American activity, encouraging all kinds of separatism and ethnic, social and racial conflicts, actively supporting all dissident movements – extremist, racist, and sectarian groups, thus destabilizing internal political processes in the U.S. It would also make sense simultaneously to support isolationist tendencies in American politics." - Done

What book is this from.

You believe that Purina is smarter?

Nixon deployed the Southern Strategy before most of us were born. When was the last time a state besides FL under the Mason Dixon turned blue?

Well, Purina is bog food, but I assume you meant to type Putin there, and yes, I do, without question.

 

[kess]

By contrast, Preston said he and Torshin saw violations of U.S. law — pro-Obama signs posted too close to a polling place — when Torshin traveled to Nashville to observe voting in the 2012 presidential election.

Yo, the polling place I go to had nothing but Republican signs, and this dude is alarmed that Obama's name is too close to a ballot box.

Never mind that many of the Russian officials that Republicans are meeting are sanctioned, but, you know, whatever.

 

[livestOne]

"Russia wants to destabilize america to gain world control"

what does that mean, and why do I want to hold on to world control?

 

[LegendofJoe]

You believe that Purina is smarter?

Nixon deployed the Southern Strategy before most of us were born. When was the last time a state besides FL under the Mason Dixon turned blue?

Uh, do Maryland and Virginia not count?

And there's a reason why the GOP has been so vicious in North Carolina. They are doing everything they can to delay losing it. A similar situation will happen in Georgia and Texas as well in the near future. The Republican party is losing its hold on the South.

 

[SuperBanana]

What book is this from.

The Foundations of Geopolitics: The Geopolitical Future of Russia. Apparently, it has been used as a textbook in the General Staff Academy of Russian military.

Also, the author loves Trump. Big surprise.

 

[Lord Frieza]

The Foundations of Geopolitics: The Geopolitical Future of Russia. Apparently, it has been used as a textbook in the General Staff Academy of Russian military.

Also, the author loves Trump. Big surprise.

I guess the real question is how do you fight all of this, because it seems almost entirely unstoppable at this point in time.

 

[RPGCrazied]

How can Paul Ryan and Mitch sleep at night? I know its party before country with them, but to get cozy with the alt right racist's/nazi's is appalling.

 

[Moosichu]

How can Paul Ryan and Mitch sleep at night? I know its party before country with them, but to get cozy with the alt right racist's/nazi's is appalling.

Because when taxes are lowered America will become this magic Utopia. Somehow.

 

[ClosingADoor]

I guess the real question is how do you fight all of this, because it seems almost entirely unstoppable at this point in time.

Maybe the West needs an enemy to unite against. It used to be the Soviets. Now I guess it's Islamist terrorism? But that doesn't really work when that actually destabilizes your own society.

We need to get it through that Russia is still the enemy and protect against it. Stop money flowing from there. Isolate them again. Make a strong stand in Eastern Europe that any attempts at attacking the peace in Europe will be suicide for Russia.

Next to that, we need to take away factors leading to the rise of extremism. It's not popular on this forum, but that means yes, doing something about the economic factors with people left behind by a changing economy. If people have it good, they are less likely to turn on others.

It's kind of amazing that the richest most powerful countries in the world constantly fail against simple tactics from extremists.

 

[Lord Frieza]

Maybe the West needs an enemy to unite against. It used to be the Soviets. Now I guess it's Islamist terrorism? But that doesn't really work when that actually destabilizes your own society.

We need to get it through that Russia is still the enemy and protect against it. Stop money flowing from there. Isolate them again. Make a strong stand in Eastern Europe that any attempts at attacking the peace in Europe will be suicide for Russia.

Next to that, we need to take away factors leading to the rise of extremism.I It's not popular on this forum, but that means yes, doing something about the economic factors with people left behind by a changing economy. f people have it good, they are less likely to turn on others.

It's kind of amazing that the richest most powerful countries in the world constantly fail against simple tactics from extremists.

This needs to be done, but please, let's not go down this economic anxiety road. Do we really need to have that argument, because we know it's mostly bullshit.

 

[radios shipping overview]

I hate fags.

Me too.

Did we just become best friends?

Yup!

"""traditional values"""

 

[Wolfgunblood Garopa]

The Republican Party is a Russian political party. They want the US to resemble Russia. Their values are Russian values.

The crucial elements of Putinism are nationalism, religion, social conservatism, state capitalism and government domination of the media.They are all different from and hostile to modern Western values of individual rights, tolerance, cosmopolitanism and internationalism.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-new-creed-for-europes-tough-men-9644628.html

1) Nationalism
2) Religion
3) Social Conservatism
4) State Capitalism: Substituting the political elite with the economic elite. Government deregulation of markets directed by corporations.
5) Government domination of the media: Discrediting the Free Press as 'fake' news that should be silenced/sued. Imposing the administration as the source of the 'real' news. Coordinating with rightwing press to present their version of the news.

Putinism. Trump looks to Putin as what he wants to be in the US and openly shows admiration for authoritarian 'strongmen' like Putin and Duterte.

 

[KernelPanic]

The Republican Party is a Russian political party. They want the US to resemble Russia. Their values are Russian values.

They had the World Congress of Families long before GOP went far right which is pretty much a joint US-Russia venture to push "traditional values".

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Congress_of_Families

 

[Karsticles]

The idea of Putin being a "straight talker" is interesting. Our public officials often struggle to say things with content and certainty, often because real answers are nuanced beyond public understanding. The public generally takes this to be a sign of lying and grounds for distrust. Putin and Trump solve this problem by outright lying: the average person is simply happy to have someone giving answers to their questions, regardless of what those answers are.

"Russia wants to destabilize america to gain world control"

what does that mean, and why do I want to hold on to world control?

Either you control the world, or the world controls you.

 

[Wolfgunblood Garopa]

They had the World Congress of Families long before GOP went far right which is pretty much a joint US-Russia venture to push "traditional values".

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Congress_of_Families

Yep, this is what is meant by 'religious liberty'- discrimination and open hostility towards LGBT people.

 

[CopperPuppy]

Anyone who thinks Russia is actually allies with them is a fool. The Republicans think they found an allies but in reality Putin has found the perfect puppets to destabilize America and topple its world control. In fact, there are literally far-right wing Russian books that describe these tactics nearly word for word. Russia can never defeat America in a war but they can cripple it from within.

Edit: The book is by a far-right fascist scientist. Aleksandr Dugin.

In Europe:
France should be encouraged to form a "Franco-German bloc" with Germany. Both countries have a "firm anti-Atlanticist tradition". - Le Pen in France. Though struggling with Germany.
The United Kingdom should be cut off from Europe. - Done
Ukraine should be annexed by Russia because "Ukraine as a state has no geopolitical meaning, no particular cultural import or universal significance, no geographic uniqueness, no ethnic exclusiveness, its certain territorial ambitions represents an enormous danger for all of Eurasia and, without resolving the Ukrainian problem, it is in general senseless to speak about continental politics". Ukraine should not be allowed to remain independent, unless it is cordon sanitaire, which would be inadmissible. - Crimea and current war.

In the Middle East and Central Asia:
Russia needs to create "geopolitical shocks" within Turkey. These can be achieved by employing Kurds, Armenians and other minorities. - Under dictatorship

In Asia:
China, which represents a danger to Russia, "must, to the maximum degree possible, be dismantled". Dugin suggests that Russia start by taking Tibet-Xinjiang-Mongolia-Manchuria as a security belt.[2] Russia should offer China help "in a southern direction – Indochina (except Vietnam), the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia" as geopolitical compensation. - The constant attacks by Trump focused at China

The book emphasizes that Russia must spread Anti-Americanism everywhere: "the main 'scapegoat' will be precisely the U.S." - It was happening under Obama, now has slowed under Trump.

In the United States:
Russia should use its special services within the borders of the United States to fuel instability and separatism, for instance, provoke "Afro-American racists". Russia should "introduce geopolitical disorder into internal American activity, encouraging all kinds of separatism and ethnic, social and racial conflicts, actively supporting all dissident movements – extremist, racist, and sectarian groups, thus destabilizing internal political processes in the U.S. It would also make sense simultaneously to support isolationist tendencies in American politics." - Done

Yeah, this shit blew my mind when I saw it linked on GAF sometime last year.

I mean, fuck, it's all right out there in the open for everyone to see, playbook and all, and no one cares.

 

[KernelPanic]

Yep, this is what is meant by 'religious liberty'- discrimination and open hostility towards LGBT people.

Yes the irony of these people feeling persecuted because they are not free to persecute others is one of the best running jokes there is.

I can't fathom the mental gymnastics required for that.

 

[Buckle]

Putin is living the republican dream so I'm not surprised so many people in Trump's admin have been implicated as trying to buddy up with them.

 

[The Albatross]

It is an incredible turn of events that just fourish years ago, the GOP nominee was on the campaign trail warning Americans against the threat of Russia, the Democratic president was scolding him that "It's not the cold war anymore / the 80s want their foreign policy back," and yet here we are with a Republican president and members of the GOP having these cozy relationships with Russia, and clear evidence that Russia meddled in our election to elect the Republican over the Democrat.

Anyone who thinks Russia is actually allies with them is a fool. The Republicans think they found an allies but in reality Putin has found the perfect puppets to destabilize America and topple its world control. In fact, there are literally far-right wing Russian books that describe these tactics nearly word for word. Russia can never defeat America in a war but they can cripple it from within.

Yep, this is spot on.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

If you want to live in a world where you can harass and murder LGBTQ people on the streets then by all means go move to fucking Russia. The way Republicans are trying to buddy up to Putin's people in order to influence American politics and move society backwards is fucking disgusting and potentially treasonous.

 

[Muppet of a Man]

Only in 2017 apparently is it okay for former McCarthy-ites to try to subvert and undermine the US and its people, because, you know, the (((globalists))) are apparently running it now and minorities almost have a seat at the table in some cases. I heard Supply-side Jesus anointed the unholy alliance between far right Christian conservatives in the US and authoritarian Russian operatives "efficient", as well.

The grand irony of McCarthy-ites actually becoming Russian sympathizers/cucks themselves and the inevitable target of their own witchhunt the whole time: priceless.

 

[KernelPanic]

http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/01/media/vladimir-putin-oliver-stone-interview/index.html?

The ultra-political filmmaker Oliver Stone has scored the interview so many journalists have been seeking: a sit-down with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Actually, several sit-downs, most recently in February.
The premium cable channel Showtime has secured the television rights to Stone's finished product, a four-hour documentary called "The Putin Interviews."

And some more:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/jesse-venturas-son-and-oliver-stones-get-a-show-at-russia-to?

WASHINGTON — The sons of former pro wrestler and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura and filmmaker Oliver Stone will be getting a show to replace Abby Martin's at Russian government-backed RT America, sources said.

Definitely some marketing going on.