#trump betrayed america

[shattered-pieces]

Trump wouldn't answer when asked if it was in the USA's best interests for Ukraine to win.

I would like to show people why it is in America's best interests, anyone who isn't clear about it.

For one thing, to not be complicit in atrocities. There are other things, but for me it's on the top of the list. Siding with russia means being ok with war crimes. That's not the kind of America I want to live in.

Idk, maybe I'm in the minority and people are ok with torture and rape and people bombed apart if it is done to Ukrainians, by russians.

[ardentperfidy]

i'm going to develop a permanent tic if i have to see one more take on last night's succession episode blaming kendall's lack of morals and hurt feelings over shiv's betrayal for the rise of fascism as the way that kendall serves as a stand in for the moral vacuum at the heart of capitalism flies over their heads with a gentle whistling sound

[emperornorton47]

[pro-prin-prinny]

Watching the far right in other countries win because the liberal politicians were only running on "we're not the other guy"

[beauty-funny-trippy]

Trump mistakenly thinks the money he's referring to is supposed to go to NATO. It's not. It's the amount each country is voluntarily asked to spend on its own armed forces. Which means, there are no "delinquent" payments.

Obviously Trump is unable to understand even the basics of NATO or foreign policy. The whole purpose of NATO is to prevent wars, not "encourage" them. Trump's insane foreign policy of betraying our allies and befriending our enemies is unbelievably irresponsible and dangerous for America. Do we really want to elect a president whose foreign policy goal is to "Make Russia Great Again!"

Few people despise America more than Putin; and few people admire that brutal dictator more than Trump. Apparently Trump believes that throwing our friends at Putin's feet is a surefire way to impress his alpha-male idol, and perhaps get some help from Putin in the 2024 election.

And did you notice how Trump talks about betraying our allies? Not with somber reluctance. But rather, he literally encourages Putin to murder our friends with a disturbingly perverse tone of enthusiasm! Is he a candidate for president, or auditioning to be Marvel's next supervillain?

There is something seriously wrong with an American presidential candidate who has a greater loyalty to our enemies than to our friends, or even to our own country.

[reality-detective]

Breaking News: Trump to Initiate Military Tribunals Against His Enemies! The Fight for America’s Future Begins Now

Trump’s bold plan to restore order is about to shake the very foundations of the deep state. Military tribunals are on the horizon, and this is the moment true patriots have been waiting for. The traitors have had their time, but now it's time for swift, undeniable justice.

The deep state has infiltrated every corner of America, controlling the media, silencing dissent, and pushing a globalist agenda. But Trump isn’t sitting idle. He sees the danger, and military tribunals are the only path forward. This isn't about revenge; this is about saving America from collapse.

The United States stands on the edge of destruction, with deep state operatives pulling the strings. But Trump is ready to act. He’s calling on every patriot to stand firm as he prepares to bring down the very people who’ve betrayed our Republic. With military tribunals, the traitors hiding in plain sight, from government agencies to media conglomerates, will finally meet their reckoning.

For years, Trump has sounded the alarm on the deep state’s treachery. Now, it’s more than just words—it’s a call to action. These tribunals will bypass the corrupted legal system, finally bringing true justice to those who’ve hidden behind bureaucracy and power.

Why Military Tribunals Matter

Military tribunals aren’t just another form of justice—they are the ONLY form of justice in times like these. With courts compromised and traitors manipulating the system, traditional justice is no longer an option. These tribunals will bypass the broken systems, cutting through the red tape, and holding enemies accountable in a way no other method can.

The deep state has had its time. From Russia hoaxes to the impeachment sham, these criminals have waged war on Trump and the American people. But their time is running out. They will face military justice.

GITMO Awaits

For those who thought they were untouchable, there is only one place left for them: GITMO. The notorious military prison, reserved for the worst enemies of America, is the final destination for deep state traitors. Military tribunals will be held at GITMO, ensuring that these criminals finally face the full consequences of their betrayal. There will be no escape.

This is Trump’s call to action. This is the moment that will decide the fate of our Republic. Patriots, it’s time to stand with Trump as he takes the fight to the traitors who seek to destroy us.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's about to get real.

The Storm IS Coming 🤔

[liberalsarecool]

Republicans have betrayed America. Again.

No progress can be made by the House. They take their orders from Trump to protect Trump.

Border security is political theatre for House Republicans. All talk, no action.

Democracy is a threat to GOP fascists. Rather than legislate/debate their policies, Republicans are abdicating control to obstructionist Trump.

Vote for Democrats. End GOP inaction.

[contemplatingoutlander]

Finally, The New York Times Editorial Board says Trump is unfit to hold the Office of the President of the United States!

This is a "gift🎁link" so you can read the entire, HISTORIC editorial by The New York Times Editorial Board stating in no uncertain terms that Donald Trump is unfit for office.

Below are some excerpts from the five subsections of the editorial: I Moral Fitness, II. Principled Leadership, III. Character, IV. A President's Words, and V. Rule of Law

I. MORAL FITNESS MATTERS

Presidents are confronted daily with challenges that require not just strength and conviction but also honesty, humility, selflessness, fortitude and the perspective that comes from sound moral judgment. If Mr. Trump has these qualities, Americans have never seen them in action on behalf of the nation��s interests. His words and actions demonstrate a disregard for basic right and wrong and a clear lack of moral fitness for the responsibilities of the presidency.

He lies blatantly and maliciously, embraces racists, abuses women and has a schoolyard bully’s instinct to target society’s most vulnerable. He has delighted in coarsening and polarizing the town square with ever more divisive and incendiary language. Mr. Trump is a man who craves validation and vindication, so much that he would prefer a hostile leader’s lies to his own intelligence agencies’ truths and would shake down a vulnerable ally for short-term political advantage. His handling of everything from routine affairs to major crises was undermined by his blundering combination of impulsiveness, insecurity and unstudied certainty. [...] The Supreme Court, with its ruling on July 1 granting presidents “absolute immunity” for official acts, has removed an obstacle to Mr. Trump’s worst impulses: the threat of legal consequences. What remains is his own sense of right and wrong. Our country’s future is too precious to rely on such a broken moral compass. [color emphasis added]

Below the cut are excerpts from the other four subsections.

II. PRINCIPLED LEADERSHIP MATTERS

Republican presidents and presidential candidates have used their leadership at critical moments to set a tone for society to live up to. Mr. Reagan faced down totalitarianism in the 1980s.... George H.W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act.... George W. Bush, for all his failures after Sept. 11, did not stoke hate against or demonize Muslims or Islam.

As a candidate during the 2008 race, Mr. McCain spoke out when his fellow conservatives spread lies about his opponent, Barack Obama. Mr. Romney was willing to sacrifice his standing and influence in the party he once represented as a presidential nominee, by boldly calling out Mr. Trump’s failings and voting for his removal from office. These acts of leadership are what it means to put country first, to think beyond oneself. Mr. Trump has demonstrated contempt for these American ideals. He admires autocrats, from Viktor Orban to Vladimir Putin to Kim Jong-un. He believes in the strongman model of power — a leader who makes things happen by demanding it, compelling agreement through force of will or personality. In reality, a strongman rules through fear and the unprincipled use of political might for self-serving ends, imposing poorly conceived policies that smother innovation, entrepreneurship, ideas and hope. During his four years in office, Mr. Trump tried to govern the United States as a strongman would, issuing orders or making decrees on Twitter. He announced sudden changes in policy — on who can serve in the military, on trade policy, on how the United States deals with North Korea or Russia — without consulting experts on his staff about how these changes would affect America. Indeed, nowhere did he put his political or personal interests above the national interest more tragically than during the pandemic, when he faked his way through a crisis by touting conspiracy theories and pseudoscience while ignoring the advice of his own experts and resisting basic safety measures that would have saved lives. [...] A second Trump administration would be different. He intends to fill his administration with sycophants, those who have shown themselves willing to obey Mr. Trump’s demands or those who lack the strength to stand up to him. He wants to remove those who would be obstacles to his agenda, by enacting an order to make it easier to fire civil servants and replace them with those more loyal to him. This means not only that Americans would lose the benefit of their expertise but also that America would be governed in a climate of fear, in which government employees must serve the interests of the president rather than the public.... Another term under Mr. Trump’s leadership would risk doing permanent damage to our government. [color/ emphasis added]

III. CHARACTER MATTERS

Character is the quality that gives a leader credibility, authority and influence. During the 2016 campaign, Mr. Trump’s petty attacks on his opponents and their families led many Republicans to conclude that he lacked such character. Other Republicans, including those who supported the former president’s policies in office, say they can no longer in good conscience back him for the presidency. “It’s a job that requires the kind of character he just doesn’t have,” Paul Ryan, a former Republican House speaker, said of Mr. Trump in May.

Those who know Mr. Trump’s character best — the people he appointed to serve in the most important positions of his White House — have expressed grave doubts about his fitness for office.His former chief of staff John Kelly, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, described Mr. Trump as “a person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution and the rule of law.” Bill Barr, whom Mr. Trump appointed as attorney general, said of him, “He will always put his own interest and gratifying his own ego ahead of everything else, including the country’s interest.” James Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general who served as defense secretary, said, “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try.” Mike Pence, Mr. Trump’s vice president, has disavowed him. No other vice president in modern American history has done this. “I believe that anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States,” Mr. Pence has said. “And anyone who asked someone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president of the United States again.” [...] It may be tempting for Americans to believe that a second Trump presidency would be much like the first, with the rest of government steeled to protect the country and resist his worst impulses. But the strongman needs others to be weak, and Mr. Trump is surrounding himself with yes men. The American public has a right to demand more from their president and those who would serve under him. [color/ emphasis added]

IV. A PRESIDENT’S WORDS MATTER

When America saw white nationalists and neo-Nazis march through the streets of Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 and activists were rallying against racism, Mr. Trump spoke of “very fine people on both sides.” When he was pressed about the white supremacist Proud Boys during a 2020 debate, Mr. Trump told them to “stand back and stand by,” a request that, records show, they took literally in deciding to storm Congress. This winter, the former president urged Iowans to vote for him and score a victory over their fellow Americans — “all of the liars, cheaters, thugs, perverts, frauds, crooks, freaks, creeps.” And in a Veterans Day speech in New Hampshire, he used the word “vermin,” a term he has deployed to describe both immigrants and political opponents.

What a president says reflects on the United States and the kind of society we aspire to be. In 2022 this board raised an urgent alarm about the rising threat of political violence in the United States and what Americans could do to stop it. At the time... the Republican Party was in the middle of a fight for control, between Trumpists and those who were ready to move on from his destructive leadership. This struggle within the party has consequences for all Americans. “A healthy democracy requires both political parties to be fully committed to the rule of law and not to entertain or even tacitly encourage violence or violent speech,” we wrote. A large faction of one party in our country fails that test, and that faction, Mr. Trump’s MAGA extremists, now control the party and its levers of power. There are many reasons his conquest of the Republican Party is bad for American democracy, but one of the most significant is that those extremists have often embraced violent speech or the belief in using violence to achieve their political goals. This belief led to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and it has resulted in a rising number of threats against judges, elected officials and prosecutors. This threat cannot be separated from Mr. Trump’s use of language to encourage violence, to dehumanize groups of people and to spread lies. A study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, released in October 2022, came to the conclusion that MAGA Republicans (as opposed to those who identified themselves as traditional Republicans) “are more likely to hold extreme and racist beliefs, to endorse political violence, to see such violence as likely to occur and to predict that they will be armed under circumstances in which they consider political violence to be justified.” The Republican Party had an opportunity to renounce Trumpism; it has submitted to it. Republican leaders have had many opportunities to repudiate his violent discourse and make clear that it should have no place in political life; they failed to. [...] But with his nomination by his party all but assured, Mr. Trump has become even more reckless in employing extreme and violent speech, such as his references to executing generals who raise questions about his actions. He has argued, before the Supreme Court, that he should have the right to assassinate a political rival and face no consequences. [color/ emphasis added]

V. THE RULE OF LAW MATTERS

The danger from these foundational failings — of morals and character, of principled leadership and rhetorical excess — is never clearer than in Mr. Trump’s disregard for rule of law, his willingness to do long-term damage to the integrity of America’s systems for short-term personal gain. As we’ve noted, Mr. Trump’s disregard for democracy was most evident in his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and to encourage violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power. What stood in his way were the many patriotic Americans, at every level of government, who rejected his efforts to bully them into complying with his demands to change election results. Instead, they followed the rules and followed the law. This respect for the rule of law, not the rule of men, is what has allowed American democracy to survive for more than 200 years.

In the four years since losing the election, Mr. Trump has become only more determined to subvert the rule of law, because his whole theory of Trumpism boils down to doing whatever he wants without consequence. Americans are seeing this unfold as Mr. Trump attempts to fight off numerous criminal charges. Not content to work within the law to defend himself, he is instead turning to sympathetic judges — including two Supreme Court justices with apparent conflicts over the 2020 election and Jan. 6-related litigation. The playbook: delay federal prosecution until he can win election and end those legal cases. His vision of government is one that does what he wants, rather than a government that operates according to the rule of law as prescribed by the Constitution, the courts and Congress. [...] So much in the past two decades has tested these norms in our society.... We need a recommitment to the rule of law and the values of fair play. This election is a moment for Americans to decide whether we will keep striving for those ideals. Mr. Trump rejects them. If he is re-elected, America will face a new and precarious future, one that it may not be prepared for. It is a future in which intelligence agencies would be judged not according to whether they preserved national security but by whether they served Mr. Trump’s political agenda. It means that prosecutors and law enforcement officials would be judged not according to whether they follow the law to keep Americans safe but by whether they obey his demands to “go after” political enemies. It means that public servants would be judged not according to their dedication or skill but by whether they show sufficient loyalty to him and his MAGA agenda. Even if Mr. Trump’s vague policy agenda would not be fulfilled, he could rule by fear. The lesson of other countries shows that when a bureaucracy is politicized or pressured, the best public servants will run for the exits. This is what has already happened in Mr. Trump’s Republican Party, with principled leaders and officials retiring, quitting or facing ouster. In a second term, he intends to do that to the whole of government. [color/ emphasis added]

[porterdavis]

NY Times Editorial Board gets it right

[razorroy]

'Donald Trump Is Unfit to Lead': NYT releases 5,000 word essay warning voters

A call to the independent voter. This is on you. Trump's base alone can't win him the election. Ditto Biden. Protect your rights and privileges as an American.

[kojoty]

It's obviously a complex question and discussion and I'm certainly admitting to a level of blue-state privilege wherein my vote really only matters in so far as working towards getting funding for a third party, like green; not to mention the privilege of, being in such a blue swaddled state, my rights are not immediately at stake-- so I am including myself in this but.

I really, really, really, really wish people in blue states like Cali, new York, Illinois, etc-- heart of dem territory and the places where your rights are NOT at contest-- would sometimes shut the fuck up and listen to the extremely valid worries and fears and pleas of people in deep red states. I think saying 'it doesn't matter who is in office, they're basically two sides of the same coin', while true ideologically in the grand leftist scheme, it also does betray a certain level of handwaving to millions of Americans where who is in office DOES matter.

And I know this is the anti colonialism website, and so we don't really want to talk about domestic issues as much as foreign policies-- completely understandable given the current global conflict-- but consider America is a vile colonial project, that which we do to our domestic underclasses IS a colonial issue as well.

I am not going to say 'go vote!' because who am I, Hillary Clinton? But I guess I am trying to say... It is really frustrating as someone who does a lot of on-the-ground community resource work in his fairly privileged area and see how the difference in economic status between a democratic and a republican president really matters, and then come on here and see the ever present leftist issue of taking ideology over material. I cannot imagine the landscape of on the ground resource work in more impoverished areas.

(most Marxists in this website really obfuscate how much material work they actually do, and are, in fact, often pontificating on ideological castles in the sky, but that's another post)

The tldr here really is: the amount of deep red state southerners who are telling you with crystal clarity that someone like Harris in office is magnitudes safer than someone like Trump in office, and urging people in states where it matters to vote....... I mean. You don't have to listen to them (even though I think you should hear their perspective), but the least you could do is not completely ignore and shun the very real realities of millions of Americans who are with good reason scared shitless that one nominee will keep the liberal hegemony (also vile-- don't take this as me condoning it), and the other will systematically make their very existence illegal. That isn't to say it can't still happen-- roe v wade-- under a dem, but. You... You do realize that it does actually matter to some people in certain states whether the pres is red or blue, right? And that yes it sucks that we have to play by American rules to keep some folks safe but.

Idk. The amount of 'leftists' on this site who paradoxically care far more about their ideological purity than the actual people who need actual material work done is... Well, that's not my leftism tbh. The amount of condescension I see levied at people daily on here. It's not just a bad look. It's Imo betraying to me that your politics are more about signpostibg and being right than actual community and human care and connection . And it happens! Ideology is a tantalizing thing. I have to constantly divorce myself from it and reintegrate into the ground. But you can't make policy out of air. You can make policy out of soil. You have to remind yourself of the faces and the beating hearts your ideology is addressing. Even if you're RIGHT are you giving the infoemation in a way that actually cares?

Idk. I don't wanna tone police. But there's a very deep seated and real classism and privilege issue within the online left that is...... Distasteful to say the least. Idc if you go vote. But the least you could do is not bully people who are more scared for policy changes that will actively affect them. It is not betraying fear and outrage at what is happening outside of these borders-- the atrocity in Gaza-- to also be scared of your own living conditions. One can balance both.

[lavenderarts]

Full of rage and grief having gone to see that fucking godawful Ronald Reagan biopic with my parents yesterday (purely for morbid curiosity and not wanting to argue with them about why I didn’t want to go) so you get to hear about it

The movie includes this: A whopping 4 seconds total of footage referencing ACT UP/the AIDS crisis. Four seconds. Of protest footage. Sandwiched within an 80s MTV-themed montage of people burning Reagan in effigy clearly intended to make you angry and dismissive. No acknowledgment of how many of us dragged our bodies to the gates to die in front of him. About 2 seconds’ mention of his war on drugs, similarly designed to make Black people look hysterical. Only the briefest of touches upon Iran-Contra, strongly implying that he didn’t authorize anything and was innocent, someone under him simply betrayed him and he had to take the fall for their moral failing because he was a stand-up guy who admitted his mistakes and looked the American people in the eye. If you couldn’t remember Iran-Contra, as I couldn’t when I was watching, you would genuinely not even understand what the controversy was about. It’s contextless. The movie ends with him honest to God riding off into the sunset to the tune of Country Roads, Take Me Home and reading a letter thanking America for the honor of letting him be President.

It’s genuinely one of the most foul things I’ve ever seen. The utter refusal to engage with criticism of that man, to view the lives of my people or anyone in the Middle East, Cuba, or anywhere else as important or worthy of preservation. The pointed framing of anyone who said he was “an actor, not a politician” as hysterical and elitist, clearly gesturing at Trump. Like. I can’t say enough about how vile it is.

My parents said that he was one of the last Presidents who could make you feel good about being an American and that feeling is basically gone today, and they weren’t dismissive of that lack of pride but I don’t think they fully understand where it comes from or how people who feel that way really feel. I don’t really… Hate America in the way they mean. I think this country has no right to exist, I think its history is full of shame and atrocity so violent and imperialist it should disqualify us from having any illusions of moral authority over anyone. The ultimate justice would be the dissolution of all empires and the return of the land to Native stewardship and governance. But I and I think a lot of other people would like to be able to love their countries. I’d like to feel proud to be American and for that to symbolize something good and kind, I’d like to love my country, but it doesn’t love me back. Every day, as someone disabled, trans, gay, a “woman,” leftist, I’m bombarded by reminders that my country would rather see me dead than have me as a part of it. I’d like for that to change. But I can’t be proud of my country until/unless we admit our failings and our crimes and make reparations for them, and until we truly change how we interact with the rest of the world. The Reagan “Gee isn’t it nice to be American, we’re all in this together and we’re gonna make it because we’re the greatest country in the world” shit rings hollow when you’ve seen firsthand that we’ve never been the greatest at anything except maybe monstrous and inhuman cruelty and greed on an industrial scale. It’s a lie, and I can’t love that lie.

I love my home, I love my state, I love its people, I love its local culture and history and I love that it is my home, but I don’t love my country because it has never loved people like me. And as we come up on a year of funding genocides at home and abroad, the least helpful thing in the world is a movie produced by Evangelical zealots about how you used to be able to say you were proud to be American and we need to return to that time because today’s world is so full of hate and division on account of the Democrats or whatever. I said it in the group chat but I’ll say it again, I honestly think that if I had wrapped the movie screen around my dick and jerked off for 2 hours it would have been less egregiously masturbatory propaganda than this. I wish deep evil and suffering upon everyone involved in its production

[mcspocky]

Trump's Own Words Define His Delusionary State of Mind

"Trump is too unstable, too unreliable, too dangerous—especially to exercise lawfully the enormous power held by a president of the U.S."

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Next week, for the third time in eight years, Donald Trump will be nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate for president of the United States. A once great political party now serves the interests of one man, a man as demonstrably unsuited for the office of president as any to run in the long history of the Republic, a man whose values, temperament, ideas and language are directly opposed to so much of what has made this country great.

It is a chilling choice against this national moment. For more than two decades, large majorities of Americans have said they are dissatisfied with the direction of the country, and the post-Covid era of stubborn inflation, high interest rates, social division and political stagnation has left many voters even more frustrated and despondent.

The Republican Party once pursued electoral power in service to solutions for such problems, to building “the shining city on a hill,” as Ronald Reagan liked to say. Its vision of the United States — embodied in principled public servants like George H.W. Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney — was rooted in the values of freedom, sacrifice, individual responsibility and the common good. The party’s conception of those values was reflected in its longstanding conservative policy agenda, and today many Republicans set aside their concerns about Mr. Trump because of his positions on immigration, trade and taxes. But the stakes of this election are not fundamentally about policy disagreements. The stakes are more foundational: what qualities matter most in America’s president and commander in chief.

Mr. Trump has shown a character unworthy of the responsibilities of the presidency. He has demonstrated an utter lack of respect for the Constitution, the rule of law and the American people. Instead of a cogent vision for the country’s future, Mr. Trump is animated by a thirst for political power: to use the levers of government to advance his interests, satisfy his impulses and exact retribution against those who he thinks have wronged him.

He is, quite simply, unfit to lead.

The Democrats are rightly engaged in their own debate about whether President Biden is the right person to carry the party’s nomination into the election, given widespread concerns among voters about his age-related fitness. This debate is so intense because of legitimate concerns that Mr. Trump may present a danger to the country, its strength, security and national character — and that a compelling Democratic alternative is the only thing that would prevent his return to power. It is a national tragedy that the Republicans have failed to have a similar debate about the manifest moral and temperamental unfitness of their standard-bearer, instead setting aside their longstanding values, closing ranks and choosing to overlook what those who worked most closely with the former president have described as his systematic dishonesty, corruption, cruelty and incompetence.

That task now falls to the American people. We urge voters to see the dangers of a second Trump term clearly and to reject it. The stakes and significance of the presidency demand a person who has essential qualities and values to earn our trust, and on each one, Donald Trump fails.

[See Also Lucian Truscott : [New York Times editorial on Trump is weak, lame, pathetic, and belated]

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

Polish Defense Spending to Hit 4.7% of GDP by 2025 | Gen. Jarosław Kraszewski

Poland's largest defense expo is underway in Kielce, with over 750 companies displaying cutting-edge military technology. Notably, Poland is increasing its defense budget to 4.7% of its GDP by next year. Amid the signing of major contracts, including an airport protection system from a Spanish firm, there’s also a push to develop domestic production, such as a planned ammunition factory. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has also emphasized the need for "precise" contracts, including ongoing negotiations for more K2 tanks from South Korea. General Jarosław Kraszewski, former Director of the Armed Forces Supervision Department at the Polish National Security Bureau, joined us today on TVP World to discuss these developments.

P.S. The Poles have made a very correct decision! Glad to hear: "Poland is increasing its defence budget to 4.7% of its GDP". Considering the high level of political corruption in the West and the extent to which Russian spies and agents of influence have infiltrated Western societies, Western security "guarantees" and "international laws" cannot be relied upon at all: 1) The Russian imperialists would never have started the war against Ukraine if Western capital, specifically German, French, Dutch, American and all other businessmen, had not invested huge funds in the Russian economy and in the restoration of the Russian military potential (the Russians obtained the military technology they lacked, both directly and indirectly, the West donated for the Russians possibility to steal Western military technology secrets without hindrance); 2) The West significantly reduced the military potential of Western European countries and CATEGORICALLY REFUSED TO INCREASE the defense of Eastern Europe and the Baltic regions at leas since 2006. Even when the Russian invasion of Georgia began in Europe in August 2008, the West pretended that nothing was happening...;

Even more, Western politicians started pushing the idea that NATO is no longer needed, the Western fiasco in Syria, and the West went so far in an absurd situation that they even started talking about giving the Russians a "sphere of influence" in Europe...it must be allowed to attack Ukraine and the Baltic States without hindrance. A. Merkel's German policy in relations with Russia was a particularly big shame for Western politicians, and of course the political circus organized by Donald Trump in America.... It is such a shame that there are no words to describe it... Of course, the Kremlin and Beijing saw all this activity of the Western useful idiots very well... the Russian army, together with Iran, entered Syria without interference, continued attacks in Ukraine, Beijing is becoming more and more aggressive, and this is only thanks to the useful idiots of the West, who have betrayed absolutely all the West's civilization values....

[super-lad]

very random, but I recently rewatched the Agent Liberty origin story episode from Supergirl season 4, and it’s still really good! It’s a very compelling picture of how someone (and really a whole family) can become radicalized. Also I love the tension in the scenes at the beginning and end of the episode with Brainy, Alex, and J’onn, I would have liked to see more of them on their own as they’re bonded by how much they care about Kara

I love being in a Supergirl rewatch mood. True, Brainy’s scenes are often with Nia and it would be cool to have seen his dynamic with J’onn if he had been his DEO boss. Whereas Winn was a little scared of J’onn, Brainy I think can see him as more of an equal.

The Agent Liberty storyline was so ahead of its time in terms of portraying our understanding of extremist right wing radicalization. At the time, I struggled to see the point of showing his POV so deeply but that was because we were deep into a Trump presidency. A lot of people felt betrayed and didn’t want to even consider seeing his supporters as real humans with emotions. But it was accurate and I love that the show didn’t care if people misconstrued it as being empathetic to the antithesis of Supergirl’s values, but rather a deep dive into how Trump won. America has become so divided because the other side genuinely feels loss and grief that ultimately fuels racist and radical beliefs. It’s just what happens and showing it is not an endorsement. That’s something I have come to terms with as the years have passed (damn, this show is almost a decade old).

Also, Kara deescalating Ben Lockwood’s fight with an alien woman at the bar? Literal “is he bothering you, queen?” vibes. The way she does it is so masterful. She doesn’t try to meet him at his rage, but breaks the script. She just interrupts him with inane questions to confuse him. Harnessing his anger lol. Top 5 Kara moments for me.

And the way the whole episode goes through every past season finale… poetic cinema. Season 4 really elevates the political ramifications of alien immigration and refugees and very nicely expands on National City’s citizens along with it. The way it considers what three consecutive alien attacks could do to people. And that the political opinions stemming from this are neither right nor wrong but just are. It would have been great to call back to the alien protests in season 1 as well or bring back Senator Crane in this episode. I wish the show had maintained this level of politics in seasons 5 and 6.