If anyone thinks that is far fetched, then consider the other day Trump had an hour and half phone call with Putin, reported in Russian papers, but not in American., after which he withdrew 5,000 troops from Germany, a Russian wet dream since 1945, with a promise of more to come.
Yersterday, a Ukrainian drone struck a high-rise luxury residential building in Moscow, located near the Mosfilm studio in a southwestern district. The attack was part of a larger, coordinated wave of drone strikes aimed at the Russian capital just days before their planned Victory Day parade. Last week, Putin called for a one-day cease-fire on May 9, the day of the Victory Day parade. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine rejected the offer, saying his country would welcome a lasting cease-fire, not a day off for Russia to celebrate itself. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/world/europe/moscow-drone-attack.html
Because of the threat of Ukrainian drones, Russia will hold the parade without heavy military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades. The Kremlin also canceled the participation of students from military secondary schools.
It's up to us to press Trump about why he unilaterally talks to Putin and what the details might be. Congress is supposed to have oversight.
According to sources like the Times of London, Putin is extremely vurnerable. Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges has consistently argued that Russia is in a "very vulnerable situation" due to the war in Ukraine, stating that "Russia cannot win".
As of early 2026, Russia has spent an estimated $2.5 trillion on its invasion of Ukraine. This staggering cost includes direct military expenditures, lost human capital, and economic destruction, exceeding Russia's annual $2.2 trillion GDP. Daily costs are estimated at roughly 100 million dollars in equipment losses.
Hodges believes the invasion has exposed deep logistical, personnel, and strategic weaknesses, warning that failure could lead to the collapse of the Russian Federation.Key Vulnerabilities Identified by Hodges:Logistics & Personnel: Hodges noted that Russian forces are constantly facing shortages in ammunition and trained manpower.Infrastructure Weakness: He highlighted that targeting Russian oil and gas infrastructure strikes a critical vulnerability, as Russia cannot adequately protect all its vast infrastructure.Black Sea Fleet: Hodges noted the vulnerability of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which was forced to relocate from Crimea due to Ukrainian strikes.Strategic Failure: He argued that Russia lacks the capability to achieve a decisive victory in Ukraine and has suffered unsustainable losses.Hodges has often stated that Western hesitation, rather than Russian strength, is the biggest obstacle to a Ukrainian victory, arguing that many of "Putin's red lines" are self-imposed by the West.
Absolutely correct. However all of Europe,except Spain, have caved in and kissed Trumps arse, and that is maddening because it empowers him, and apparently is world emperor, when he can beat the worlds Democacies into submission. Well not quite worldemporer, there is a triumvarate, Putin, Xi andTrump
"European nations have “gotten the message” from Trump and are now ensuring that agreements on the use of military bases are being implemented, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said today. Spain has said that military bases on its territory cannot be used for the war with Iran. But Rutte said other NATO countries such as Montenegro, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Britain, France, and Germany were implementing requests for the use of bases and other logistical support. Andrew Gray reports for Reuters." from the Just Security daily newscast.
A cabinet full of sociopathic billionaires, 2nd-string Fox Weekend hosts, and failed reality show idiots. Not one of them has any integrity or intelligence. I'd like to wake up from this nightmare, but it is impossible as an ordinary citizen to do anything but support my favored candidates for November, and cast my vote accordingly.
Even worse Derek. Trump has achieved the main reason why Orban came to power, he has garnered control of the press,. The once relatively independent CNN is now a Trump megaphone, owned by the Ellison Family, as is CBS, and all over the air broadcasting is under the Thumb of BrendanCarr, the FEC henchman of Trump
While no person owns the controlling interest in ABC, its CEO and Chairman is Robert Iger, and it;s controlling interests are Vanguard,Black Rock andState Street. Blackrock was founded and controlled by Larry Fink, and has investments and sometimes controlling interest in every vital interest in America.
NBC is owned by Comcast,Comcast is owned primarily by Vanguard,Black Rock, State Street Group, but is controlled by Brian L. Roberts as CEO and Chairman.
If nothing else they are under the control of Brendan Carr, who can lift their license or disapprove of a merger.
Hungary is structured differently than the US, it doesn't have an FEC for one thing, however
Viktor Orbán achieved control over the Hungarian media landscape through a systematic, 15-year process (roughly 2010–2025) that involved legal restructuring, state-backed economic pressure, and the consolidation of outlets under loyalists. By 2024, it is estimated that government-connected oligarchs control roughly 80% of Hungary's media market,,so there is that similarity. .
"On Wednesday, Trump talked to Russia’s president Vladimir Putin for an hour and a half—the twelfth phone call between the two leaders since Trump took office a second time—and just hours later posted about removing U.S. troops from Germany. Putin has wanted to weaken the U.S. commitment to Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for a long time. As Jack Detsch, Paul McLeary, and Stefanie Bolzen of Politico note, European officials worry that Putin is making plans to attack a NATO country." (HCR)
- For reasons unknown, Donald is either a Commie, beholden to them, or both.
- Donald knew that promulgating Putin's anti-Americanism was not enough
- He located ready internal enemies [Women, Browns, Jews, Blacks] like Mussolini/Hitler
- He bet the farm on Misogyny; White Hate; Brown self-hate; Black male stupidity
He won. Twice. 77,300,000 last time.
---------------------------------------
To paraphrase Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire."
"I have always depended on the hatred and stupidity of strangers."
Donald DuBois
----------------
Russia lost Hungary. But it gained America as its new Trophy Wife/Vassal State. And what does an abusive, horny, sadistic husband [Russia] do to a Trophy Wife / Vassal? You ought to know by now.
This is unsustainable.
# VOTE out the running dogs of communism/technocracy/apartheid
It is disheartening to see so many Black, Jewish and even Hispanic Trump humpers.
There are two ways to understand it. If you move to Utah and want to start a business, then you best become a Mormon. Only about 30% of Germany were really NAZI's after 1933, it was 90% or better.
My granddaughter has Mexican in laws, and it is an extended family, most are citizens but some are undocumented,and the undocumented are Trumpers.
Explainable because the Latin culture is culturally conservative, especially the Catholics, but even the Evangelical and Pentecostal converts.
Mayra Flores of Tex 34t herself a former border hopper is a strident Trump humper, and pro deportation of fellow border hoppers, andti feminist, anti LGBT.
Not enough attention is paid to the culture war, which is the core, the foundation of MAGA, not economics, but the culture war. Why?
“If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.”
― Lyndon B. Johnson
And it isn't just race, it is gender, sex, anything that threatens patriarchal hegemony.
Will the Democratic party, liberals, progressives ever get over their self imposed , delirium that it is "the economy stupid". it is that yes,plus the culture war and for a sizable segment of the population the culture war is more important, that is until they actually involuntarily start to lose weight and their stomach growls.
People get the politicians they deserve and the electoral garbage who voted for Trump are certainly getting it, trouble is the rest of the world are also getting it.
Of course all these things are true and have already happened. The huge hanging question is:
Why can the republican members of Congress not see their party being destroyed before their very eyes? Do they not know that to continue to kowtow to this deranged person is to see their political dreams go up in smoke (their pink slip is already in the mail. (Or Amazon).
I believe it was James Blish, in the first of his 1950s science-fiction "Cities in Flight" novels, who suggested that over time the US and the USSR would converge to the same point. Putin--he is not a Communist by any stretch but an ultra-nationalist, deeply corrupt and running what could arguably be called a fascist system, complete with an unnecessary long war. He took a failing state with no democratic traditions and created a Russia that doesn't seem so different from what Trump is trying to turn America into. The difference is that people here still have some rights and speak up to oppose what is happening. And Trump is a stupid man without any real vision beyond himself. His dream might be to create a sort of Russian state, but as usual he is being played by smarter people.
Leave it to an imperialist faux-Christian to establish an anti-democratic anti-government dedicated to disassembling civilization and selling off its parts for a momentary personal profit. I'm sure Putin is quite happy with this turn of events; he never dreamed his influence could yield such a startlingly huge ROI.
Between Thom Hartmann and Christopher Armitage, whose Substacks today are must reads, we have a functional Grey’s Anatomy for Democratic politicians who have heretofore been unable to find the Repugnican jugular. We need to find some aggressive political surgeons.
Also, the timber industry now runs the Forest Service. The National Forests will not be managed in the interest of the public but in the interest of sales.
Trump is Krasnov a KGB agent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-u4d6Zwdns&t=5s
If anyone thinks that is far fetched, then consider the other day Trump had an hour and half phone call with Putin, reported in Russian papers, but not in American., after which he withdrew 5,000 troops from Germany, a Russian wet dream since 1945, with a promise of more to come.
I posted an article about the troop withdrawal from Germany today, and it's not about Trump being insulted by the Chancellor.
Yersterday, a Ukrainian drone struck a high-rise luxury residential building in Moscow, located near the Mosfilm studio in a southwestern district. The attack was part of a larger, coordinated wave of drone strikes aimed at the Russian capital just days before their planned Victory Day parade. Last week, Putin called for a one-day cease-fire on May 9, the day of the Victory Day parade. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine rejected the offer, saying his country would welcome a lasting cease-fire, not a day off for Russia to celebrate itself. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/world/europe/moscow-drone-attack.html
Because of the threat of Ukrainian drones, Russia will hold the parade without heavy military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades. The Kremlin also canceled the participation of students from military secondary schools.
It's up to us to press Trump about why he unilaterally talks to Putin and what the details might be. Congress is supposed to have oversight.
According to sources like the Times of London, Putin is extremely vurnerable. Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges has consistently argued that Russia is in a "very vulnerable situation" due to the war in Ukraine, stating that "Russia cannot win".
As of early 2026, Russia has spent an estimated $2.5 trillion on its invasion of Ukraine. This staggering cost includes direct military expenditures, lost human capital, and economic destruction, exceeding Russia's annual $2.2 trillion GDP. Daily costs are estimated at roughly 100 million dollars in equipment losses.
Hodges believes the invasion has exposed deep logistical, personnel, and strategic weaknesses, warning that failure could lead to the collapse of the Russian Federation.Key Vulnerabilities Identified by Hodges:Logistics & Personnel: Hodges noted that Russian forces are constantly facing shortages in ammunition and trained manpower.Infrastructure Weakness: He highlighted that targeting Russian oil and gas infrastructure strikes a critical vulnerability, as Russia cannot adequately protect all its vast infrastructure.Black Sea Fleet: Hodges noted the vulnerability of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which was forced to relocate from Crimea due to Ukrainian strikes.Strategic Failure: He argued that Russia lacks the capability to achieve a decisive victory in Ukraine and has suffered unsustainable losses.Hodges has often stated that Western hesitation, rather than Russian strength, is the biggest obstacle to a Ukrainian victory, arguing that many of "Putin's red lines" are self-imposed by the West.
Absolutely correct. However all of Europe,except Spain, have caved in and kissed Trumps arse, and that is maddening because it empowers him, and apparently is world emperor, when he can beat the worlds Democacies into submission. Well not quite worldemporer, there is a triumvarate, Putin, Xi andTrump
"European nations have “gotten the message” from Trump and are now ensuring that agreements on the use of military bases are being implemented, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said today. Spain has said that military bases on its territory cannot be used for the war with Iran. But Rutte said other NATO countries such as Montenegro, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Britain, France, and Germany were implementing requests for the use of bases and other logistical support. Andrew Gray reports for Reuters." from the Just Security daily newscast.
A cabinet full of sociopathic billionaires, 2nd-string Fox Weekend hosts, and failed reality show idiots. Not one of them has any integrity or intelligence. I'd like to wake up from this nightmare, but it is impossible as an ordinary citizen to do anything but support my favored candidates for November, and cast my vote accordingly.
Even worse Derek. Trump has achieved the main reason why Orban came to power, he has garnered control of the press,. The once relatively independent CNN is now a Trump megaphone, owned by the Ellison Family, as is CBS, and all over the air broadcasting is under the Thumb of BrendanCarr, the FEC henchman of Trump
While no person owns the controlling interest in ABC, its CEO and Chairman is Robert Iger, and it;s controlling interests are Vanguard,Black Rock andState Street. Blackrock was founded and controlled by Larry Fink, and has investments and sometimes controlling interest in every vital interest in America.
NBC is owned by Comcast,Comcast is owned primarily by Vanguard,Black Rock, State Street Group, but is controlled by Brian L. Roberts as CEO and Chairman.
If nothing else they are under the control of Brendan Carr, who can lift their license or disapprove of a merger.
Hungary is structured differently than the US, it doesn't have an FEC for one thing, however
Viktor Orbán achieved control over the Hungarian media landscape through a systematic, 15-year process (roughly 2010–2025) that involved legal restructuring, state-backed economic pressure, and the consolidation of outlets under loyalists. By 2024, it is estimated that government-connected oligarchs control roughly 80% of Hungary's media market,,so there is that similarity. .
"On Wednesday, Trump talked to Russia’s president Vladimir Putin for an hour and a half—the twelfth phone call between the two leaders since Trump took office a second time—and just hours later posted about removing U.S. troops from Germany. Putin has wanted to weaken the U.S. commitment to Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for a long time. As Jack Detsch, Paul McLeary, and Stefanie Bolzen of Politico note, European officials worry that Putin is making plans to attack a NATO country." (HCR)
Facts:
- For reasons unknown, Donald is either a Commie, beholden to them, or both.
- Donald knew that promulgating Putin's anti-Americanism was not enough
- He located ready internal enemies [Women, Browns, Jews, Blacks] like Mussolini/Hitler
- He bet the farm on Misogyny; White Hate; Brown self-hate; Black male stupidity
He won. Twice. 77,300,000 last time.
---------------------------------------
To paraphrase Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire."
"I have always depended on the hatred and stupidity of strangers."
Donald DuBois
----------------
Russia lost Hungary. But it gained America as its new Trophy Wife/Vassal State. And what does an abusive, horny, sadistic husband [Russia] do to a Trophy Wife / Vassal? You ought to know by now.
This is unsustainable.
# VOTE out the running dogs of communism/technocracy/apartheid
# Send Eric to Iran
It is disheartening to see so many Black, Jewish and even Hispanic Trump humpers.
There are two ways to understand it. If you move to Utah and want to start a business, then you best become a Mormon. Only about 30% of Germany were really NAZI's after 1933, it was 90% or better.
My granddaughter has Mexican in laws, and it is an extended family, most are citizens but some are undocumented,and the undocumented are Trumpers.
Explainable because the Latin culture is culturally conservative, especially the Catholics, but even the Evangelical and Pentecostal converts.
Mayra Flores of Tex 34t herself a former border hopper is a strident Trump humper, and pro deportation of fellow border hoppers, andti feminist, anti LGBT.
Not enough attention is paid to the culture war, which is the core, the foundation of MAGA, not economics, but the culture war. Why?
“If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.”
― Lyndon B. Johnson
And it isn't just race, it is gender, sex, anything that threatens patriarchal hegemony.
You're not wrong.
Will the Democratic party, liberals, progressives ever get over their self imposed , delirium that it is "the economy stupid". it is that yes,plus the culture war and for a sizable segment of the population the culture war is more important, that is until they actually involuntarily start to lose weight and their stomach growls.
People get the politicians they deserve and the electoral garbage who voted for Trump are certainly getting it, trouble is the rest of the world are also getting it.
Of course all these things are true and have already happened. The huge hanging question is:
Why can the republican members of Congress not see their party being destroyed before their very eyes? Do they not know that to continue to kowtow to this deranged person is to see their political dreams go up in smoke (their pink slip is already in the mail. (Or Amazon).
How much more real does this have to get?!!
We need to pressure them.
With what?
Picket them, lobby them, call them, sit in....
I believe it was James Blish, in the first of his 1950s science-fiction "Cities in Flight" novels, who suggested that over time the US and the USSR would converge to the same point. Putin--he is not a Communist by any stretch but an ultra-nationalist, deeply corrupt and running what could arguably be called a fascist system, complete with an unnecessary long war. He took a failing state with no democratic traditions and created a Russia that doesn't seem so different from what Trump is trying to turn America into. The difference is that people here still have some rights and speak up to oppose what is happening. And Trump is a stupid man without any real vision beyond himself. His dream might be to create a sort of Russian state, but as usual he is being played by smarter people.
Leave it to an imperialist faux-Christian to establish an anti-democratic anti-government dedicated to disassembling civilization and selling off its parts for a momentary personal profit. I'm sure Putin is quite happy with this turn of events; he never dreamed his influence could yield such a startlingly huge ROI.
Between Thom Hartmann and Christopher Armitage, whose Substacks today are must reads, we have a functional Grey’s Anatomy for Democratic politicians who have heretofore been unable to find the Repugnican jugular. We need to find some aggressive political surgeons.
Also, the timber industry now runs the Forest Service. The National Forests will not be managed in the interest of the public but in the interest of sales.