Understanding the US - Again

Tuan · Post by **Tuan** » 10 Jan 2021 00:12

Wikileaks just dumped all of their files online. Everything from Hillary Clinton's emails D, McCain's being guilty, Vegas shooting done by an FBI sniper, Steve Jobs HIV letter, PedoPodesta, Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Bilderberg, CIA agents arrested for rape, WHO pandemic. Happy Digging! Here you go, please read and pass it on..... https://file.wikileaks.org/file/... These are Clinton’s emails: https://file.wikileaks.org/file/clinton-emails/

Index file! https://file.wikileaks.org/file/?fbclid ... bM46oHXWMI

saip · Post by **saip** » 10 Jan 2021 01:00

Every once in a while you get these alleged dumps. Same identical news cirulated in the previous months too. Nothing new.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 10 Jan 2021 02:07

Mort Walker wrote:Multi-trillion in stimulus and spending.

Unavoidable that the coastal states with the resources to fund government have to be halal'ed to buy peace with the hinterland. Problem so far has been that the coastal states are Democrat supporters and margins have been minimal that there was no political capital to spare. However now that some hinterland states are won over, there is some room to raise taxes to pay for the required redistribution.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 10 Jan 2021 03:18

vera_k wrote:
Mort Walker wrote:Multi-trillion in stimulus and spending.
Unavoidable that the coastal states with the resources to fund government have to be halal'ed to buy peace with the hinterland. Problem so far has been that the coastal states are Democrat supporters and margins have been minimal that there was no political capital to spare. However now that some hinterland states are won over, there is some room to raise taxes to pay for the required redistribution.

The coastal states now have the highest income disparity, homelessness, and welfare. On top of that very high state and local taxes. The hinterland doesn’t have the tax base of states which have very large coastal cities and ports. Any significant increase in taxes would only make the situation worse. The easiest thing to do is print more dollars and create international crisis to keep the dollar king. A script followed for the last 40+ years. Orange man was creating a disruption by threatening to withdraw from the world. He had to go by all sides agreed. There will be money to be made.

Pay attention to budget proposals from OMB and the FY22 NDAA. brar_w has been doing a fantastic job of keeping us informed in the US military thread. He is tirelessly keeping us informed.

kit · Post by **kit** » 10 Jan 2021 03:40

Mort Walker wrote:
vera_k wrote:
Pay attention to budget proposals from OMB and the FY22 NDAA. brar_w has been doing a fantastic job of keeping us informed in the US military thread. He is tirelessly keeping us informed.

indeed Brar_w is in a class of his own !

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 10 Jan 2021 08:25

Mort Walker wrote:The coastal states now have the highest income disparity, homelessness, and welfare. On top of that very high state and local taxes. The hinterland doesn’t have the tax base of states which have very large coastal cities and ports. Any significant increase in taxes would only make the situation worse.

The poor pay minimal taxes or get money back. The solution is more taxes to reduce the disparity and fund programs. Peak tax rates of 60+% for CA and NY were reported to be a possibility before the election.

Biden’s tax plan could create a tax rate of as much 62% for New Yorkers and Californians, studies show

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 10 Jan 2021 08:30

vera_k wrote:Unavoidable that the coastal states with the resources to fund government have to be halal'ed to buy peace with the hinterland.

Isn't that a pejorative term for middle bhaarat?!!! Another was interior.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 10 Jan 2021 08:32

saip wrote:Every once in a while you get these alleged dumps. Same identical news cirulated in the previous months too. Nothing new.

How do you know? Did you diff the dumps or what?!

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 10 Jan 2021 08:34

Mort Walker wrote: Ivy leaguers and elite universities are going to pick up some good serving sizes. If only I had friends in high places could I make a killing. Who doesn't want to move on when the opportunity to get wealthy presents itself?

Energy Secretary is a Harvard JD and former Gov. of MI. 'nuff said.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 10 Jan 2021 08:36

durairaaj wrote:I don't understand hue and cry the US politicians in media are raising about the protest in capitol. Americans just tasted their own colour revolution, albeit a failed one, which they have been orchestrating all over the world.

Saar, this is nothing. If the 74 million disaffected come out on to the streets, there will be 150 million guns. That would be how an insurrection looks like.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 10 Jan 2021 09:23

US lifts self-imposed restrictions with Taiwan

ShyamSP · Post by **ShyamSP** » 10 Jan 2021 10:44

Vayutuvan wrote:
durairaaj wrote:I don't understand hue and cry the US politicians in media are raising about the protest in capitol. Americans just tasted their own colour revolution, albeit a failed one, which they have been orchestrating all over the world.
Saar, this is nothing. If the 74 million disaffected come out on to the streets, there will be 150 million guns. That would be how an insurrection looks like.

They needed pretext on some violence to wrap session in Congress quickly. When many were protesting outside Capitol building, state or political actors could have pulled some Antifa and QAnon idiots to break in. There is news that FBI gave false Intel to Capitol police and so they didn't put right arrangement and preventive tactics.

There was an Indian MAGA guy gave eye witness account that they were there just protesting and waving flags including this guy waving Indian flag. Police gave permission to do such protest.

If the real right-wing crowd had bad intention of doing any coup, it would have been all different ball game, many own guns and AR15s.

It wasn't even colored revolution other than protest. Going inside was foul play to create narrative. Now we are seeing the pretext clearly as they are banning Trump online network.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 10 Jan 2021 11:20

Vayutuvan wrote:
Mort Walker wrote: Ivy leaguers and elite universities are going to pick up some good serving sizes. If only I had friends in high places could I make a killing. Who doesn't want to move on when the opportunity to get wealthy presents itself?
Energy Secretary is a Harvard JD and former Gov. of MI. 'nuff said.

I thought American Nobel Prize winners in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine would be knocking on the doors of the Xiden administration to become agency heads?

Thakur_B · Post by **Thakur_B** » 10 Jan 2021 17:50

My observations on the Capitol hill drama:

1. This was a massive intelligence clusterf^ck.

2. Trumpers always knew that MSM and SM will mass cull their channels of communication at any time. They were counting on it to happen soone or later. This and most being paranoid of deep state and tech monopolies, they probably have set up parallel channels for communications. How long will FBI take to infiltrate them is the only question.

3. 4 years of domestic terrorism does not seem far fetched. Rather it seems like a distinct possibility.

4. Dems are unlikely to pacify the crowd and bring in any kind of electoral reforms. They will go for the kill.

5. Republicans will have to make some hard choices. Either drop the Trump tombstone and restore relationship with deep state. Or hold him up as a martyr and retain their voter base.

darshan · Post by **darshan** » 10 Jan 2021 20:21

Biden's agenda seems to be to rewrite various laws. Everything possible that can cause protests and marches is being done. Trump and his supporters need to make hard decision about falling for it. Once on the road then no way to control who joins in and does something. Reminds me of UPA and saffron terror. Support right and you will be identified as a terrorist.

After Twitter suspension, Forbes warns companies against hiring people who worked with Donald Trump past four years
https://www.opindia.com/2021/01/forbes- ... ion-staff/
...
Continuing to carry out a vendetta against the ideological opponents, the American business magazine Forbes has now given an ultimatum to companies that want to hire people who have been working for President Donald Trump throughout the last four years.

In an article published by Forbes’ chief content officer and editor Randall Lane this week titled, “A Truth Reckoning: Why We’re Holding Those Who Lied For Trump Accountable”, the American magazine warned companies against hiring people who were associated with the Trump administration during his tenure as POTUS. It said that they would be scrutinising such businesses if they employ Trump supporters and staff.
...

Vivek K · Post by **Vivek K** » 10 Jan 2021 22:16

This thread is very appropriately titled but it appears that a lot of the posters seem to be missing the point. The thread is not titled - a personal preference of which administration the US should have. Its intent (from the title) seems instead to be - to understand the US (its interests, personalities, likes and dislikes) and use that understanding to benefit India. Paxtanis milked the US for decades and were able to stand up to a much larger India and even earn the ridiculous Major Non-NATO ally recognition allowing continued benefits.

What we're doing here is ridiculing a new US administration and calling it names without its first day having dawned. That shows a) our Cold War hangover and b) it builds in a dislike right from the beginning that will certainly not achieve and understanding of how to work with the new administration. It will instead make us come up with better and better names (or perhaps the current one being used will stick) to express our personal dislike of the new administration. I recommend to the Admins that if a vast section of posters is keen to debate their personal preferences of which US administration they would like to see govern, that an appropriate thread is setup for it rather than continue in that vein in this thread.

This thread should be studying Biden's appointments and how to best sell Indian interests to the incoming appointees.

srikandan · Post by **srikandan** » 10 Jan 2021 23:43

VivekK.
Better names (or perhaps the current one being used will stick) to express our personal dislike of the new administration.
...
This thread should be studying Biden's appointments and how to best sell Indian interests to the incoming appointees.

Seriously, you really think anyone here can sell Indian interests to the incoming admininistration-- that is Dr.Jaishankar's job. The hostility of the democrats to Indian interests is a matter of public record, and it only looks like personal preference to people who have not paid attention to US behavior in the past decades w.r.t. India. Offshore-balancing India with pakistan is all they ever did in the past. Republicans have been less sanctimonious and more transactional and that has worked well for both sides. -- that is also a matter of public record.

The deliberate provocation of the Indian govt.by getting Pramila Jayapal to be in a committee where she did not belong (and where Dr. Jaishankar was going to explain the CAA) follows that trend -- MEA/GoI saw through these democrat shenanigans and shut down the channel of communication.

It is pretty naive to pretend that anyone can "sell indian interests" to this bunch -- what is useful is to see if there is any deviation from past behavior of hostility to Indian interests. Biden's silence on China/Xinjiang while wagging the finger at India and saying that he is going to prioritize human rights issues in India indicates it is more of the same, but we will see.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 11 Jan 2021 00:06

Vivek K wrote:This thread should be studying Biden's appointments and how to best sell Indian interests to the incoming appointees.

Wrong. That is the goal of the Indo-US discussion thread. This thread is to understand how the US works, what its warts and fissures are. The most useful posts are the ones that leave their political preferences at the door and show the ability for critical thinking that deconstructs various entities without using readymade language.

Najunamar · Post by **Najunamar** » 11 Jan 2021 01:05

I am conflicted in terms of what the next 4 years hold - on the one hand BiHar regime has clearly shown an interest in re-engaging with the world (euphemism for greater interference, color revolutions redux etc.), but at the same time is also salivating at the prospect of having greater control over both houses, going after Trump/others linked with him. Will not a focus on one detract resource availability for the other? Legislative actions on immigration, tax and others will not be easy with the razor thin majority in the Senate. My hunch is first 2 years will be slow on the foreign policy front and more on domestic issues.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 11 Jan 2021 01:25

My assessment is that things are bleak without quick and greater redistribution (read taxation) from the prosperous to the disaffected.

Trump's approval ratings on the rise, poll shows

According to Rasmussen's daily presidential approval poll, Trump's approval ratings have in fact improved in the days since the chaos in Washington, which took place as Congress convened to certify the electors and US President-elect Joe Biden's election victory.

Vivek K · Post by **Vivek K** » 11 Jan 2021 01:30

Deleted

Vivek K · Post by **Vivek K** » 11 Jan 2021 02:17

Let me try again - we need to exploit the next administration for the benefit of Indian interests. That is what it meant. Care to explain how it means that Modi should resign?

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 11 Jan 2021 03:09

Vivek K wrote:Let me try again - we need to exploit the next administration for the benefit of Indian interests. That is what it meant. Care to explain how it means that Modi should resign?

Please STOP derailing this thread. This thread has nothing to do with India. It's already been stated once and you're on thin ice here.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 11 Jan 2021 05:21

vera_k wrote:My assessment is that things are bleak without quick and greater redistribution (read taxation) from the prosperous to the disaffected.

Income redistribution is bound to happen as the cost basic living in the US has gone out of hand. Low interest rates are keeping a lid on things for now. Perhaps that may continue for some time. Safety net programs such as Medicare/Medicaid and social security are going to face a crisis by the end of this decade. For CY 2020, OASDI collected over $1T, but much of this is going to payback to the general fund. SSA is projecting $0.75/$1 by 2035 assuming 2019 economic growth rate. Crisis is coming in 8-10 years.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 11 Jan 2021 09:22

Mort Walker wrote: I thought American Nobel Prize winners in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine would be knocking on the doors of the Xiden administration to become agency heads?

We all did. Follow the Science.

(Where are you dear @Amber G. ji?!

). DC is run by pretentious shysters who say they understand Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics even though they subscribe to the Columbia College Core Curriculum.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 11 Jan 2021 13:18

though nothing stops India and other affected countries from doing the very same and complete evisceration using local laws.

this is nothing but techno colonialism and there is no reason for any country to subject itself to the rule of a reimagined east India company that has risen phoenix like, albeit in a new avatar.

these guys are peddling a heady mix of AI, adaptive algorithms, social manipulation and post truth narrative construction to sway entire populations and are now protecting themselves from being restrained at this vulnerable stage of their cancerous growth.

Soon they will have grown so huge that they will be well beyond the reach of many sovereign governments, malevolently transgressing national boundaries and overriding popular electoral mandates, subverting free will and restricting choice.

Trump Is The Sacrificial Head Big Tech Is Offering To Protect Its Moolah From Anti-Trust Action. The deplatforming of Trump is the sacrificial head Big Tech is offering the incoming US admin in order to prevent a complete evisceration of their monopolies.

Trump Is The Sacrificial Head Big Tech Is Offering To Protect Its Moolah From Anti-Trust Action

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 11 Jan 2021 20:21

xi jinping will have cause to remember trumpwa for a very long time.

this is a major and a most unexpected blow that will cause the hans to squeal like a stuck pig

other countries will also take their cue from this

Outgoing Trump Administration gives Biggest Jolt to China by removing decades long acceptance to 'One-China' Status quo . US Sec Pompeo Orders lifting of all self-imposed restrictions with Taiwan by US Govt giving it Free Country status

Lifting Self-Imposed Restrictions on the U.S.-Taiwan Relationship

Lifting Self-Imposed Restrictions on the U.S.-Taiwan Relationship

PRESS STATEMENT

MICHAEL R. POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE

JANUARY 9, 2021

Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and reliable partner of the United States, and yet for several decades the State Department has created complex internal restrictions to regulate our diplomats, service members, and other officials’ interactions with their Taiwanese counterparts. The United States government took these actions unilaterally, in an attempt to appease the Communist regime in Beijing. No more.

Today I am announcing that I am lifting all of these self-imposed restrictions. Executive branch agencies should consider all “contact guidelines” regarding relations with Taiwan previously issued by the Department of State under authorities delegated to the Secretary of State to be null and void.

Additionally, any and all sections of the Foreign Affairs Manual or Foreign Affairs Handbook that convey authorities or otherwise purport to regulate executive branch engagement with Taiwan via any entity other than the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) are also hereby voided. The executive branch‘s relations with Taiwan are to be handled by the non-profit AIT, as stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act.

The United States government maintains relationships with unofficial partners around the world, and Taiwan is no exception. Our two democracies share common values of individual freedom, the rule of law, and a respect for human dignity. Today’s statement recognizes that the U.S.-Taiwan relationship need not, and should not, be shackled by self-imposed restrictions of our permanent bureaucracy

.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 11 Jan 2021 22:56

Mod Note

Please STOP posting India-US and related news in this thread. That is not the purpose of this thread at all. India-US discussions go in its own thread.

There's no thread for mainstream news on internal US political matters on this forum at all. We do not encourage it here.

This is a thread for understanding US as a society from essentially first principles.

srikandan · Post by **srikandan** » 12 Jan 2021 03:40

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/09/st ... ent-cable/

This is a new one for the US I think. "Eminent Bureaucrats" in govt. write letters and taking the party line of the incoming administration on impeachment.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 12 Jan 2021 03:53

FBI memo warns law enforcement across U.S. of possible armed protests at 50 state Capitols

The FBI also says an armed group has threatened to travel to Washington and stage an uprising if Congress removes Trump from office.

srikandan · Post by **srikandan** » 12 Jan 2021 07:23

Glenn Greenwald used to be extreme left a decade ago but the center shifted a lot to the left in the US and now he sounds like a centrist/conservative.
Regardless, he seems to have done some research to determine that Parler had nothing to do with the capitol-hill uprising -- this is a straight-up anti-competitive act by Amazon, Google, and Apple.

https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1 ... 1734028293

He points out in the twitter thread that all the Capitol hill uprising planning took place on Facebook and not Parler, so shutting down parler by these tech monopolies in the US is very problematic, and this is being recognized by the ACLU. His article should be interesting.

There was a report released on the dangers posed by this tech company a subcommittee on anti-trust -- there were reports of anti-trust suits by 2-3 dozen states against Facebook and Google but that seems to have vanished. The report quotes democrats raising this issue, but Twitter seems to be safe, going by Morgan Stanley increasing their holdings of Twitter stocks by 80% when it crashed today.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/202 ... -be-split/

"As they exist today, Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook each possess significant market power over large swaths of our economy. In recent years, each company has expanded and exploited their power of the marketplace in anticompetitive ways," Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and antitrust subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline (D-R.I.) said in a joint statement. "Our investigation leaves no doubt that there is a clear and compelling need for Congress and the antitrust enforcement agencies to take action that restores competition, improves innovation, and safeguards our democracy."

srikandan · Post by **srikandan** » 12 Jan 2021 07:40

@NYGovCuomo
We simply cannot stay closed until the vaccine hits critical mass. The cost is too high. We will have nothing left to open. We must reopen the economy, but we must do it smartly and safely.

Now that elections are over in the US, this guy Cuomo was criticizing the previous regime for saying exactly the same thing, and COVID deaths and cases are flattening on the Y-axis as opposed to the X-axis at this time. Seems like a lot of flailing around with no plan in place on how to move forward, if all the stances taken previously were politically motivated. Also demonstrates a high level of callousness towards public well-being in US political parties as seen in the past year.

srikandan · Post by **srikandan** » 12 Jan 2021 08:04

This guy Andy Ngo has been tracking Antifa riots in the past year, and he recognized Antifa guys in the so-called right-wing uprising. He had a report on Antifa Portland, that has military veterans in it that teach civilians urban guerrila warfare. Unlike the jokers in the capitol who exposed their faces and got arrested by the FBI, these antifa criminals are trained to cover their face in all public protests. They also know how to evade arrest in such instances -- very evil and dangerous group. Andy Ngo was attacked and injured by Antifa in 2020 more than once. Urban (socialist) Guerrilas in the US are a reality it looks like.

https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/13 ... 8671883266

ShyamSP · Post by **ShyamSP** » 12 Jan 2021 08:47

srikandan wrote:This guy Andy Ngo has been tracking Antifa riots in the past year, and he recognized Antifa guys in the so-called right-wing uprising. He had a report on Antifa Portland, that has military veterans in it that teach civilians urban guerrila warfare. Unlike the jokers in the capitol who exposed their faces and got arrested by the FBI, these antifa criminals are trained to cover their face in all public protests. They also know how to evade arrest in such instances -- very evil and dangerous group. Andy Ngo was attacked and injured by Antifa in 2020 more than once. Urban (socialist) Guerrilas in the US are a reality it looks like.

https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/13 ... 8671883266

They have different entities doing different activities for different purposes. Antifa is for left-wing violence and QAnon for right-wing disinformation and both are used by political and state operatives. There is a Fox documentary on Antifa and how they work with an example of LA BLM protest during which how Antifas smash and burn a cop car shown in slow motion and escape making it look like BLM protesters did it. Capitol Tamasha reeks similar modus operandi.

Cain Marko · Post by **Cain Marko** » 12 Jan 2021 10:04

chetak wrote:xi jinping will have cause to remember trumpwa for a very long time.

this is a major and a most unexpected blow that will cause the hans to squeal like a stuck pig

other countries will also take their cue from this

Outgoing Trump Administration gives Biggest Jolt to China by removing decades long acceptance to 'One-China' Status quo . US Sec Pompeo Orders lifting of all self-imposed restrictions with Taiwan by US Govt giving it Free Country status

Lifting Self-Imposed Restrictions on the U.S.-Taiwan Relationship

Lifting Self-Imposed Restrictions on the U.S.-Taiwan Relationship

.

Jaatey jaatey - lath mar key gaya!

Anyone in the Biden admin wanting to normalize ties with the Han are going to find it difficult after such steps.

Roop · Post by **Roop** » 12 Jan 2021 15:25

Cain Marko wrote:Anyone in the Biden admin wanting to normalize ties with the Han are going to find it difficult after such steps.

Especially since it is now common knowledge that Xi owns Biden -- has him in his pocket.

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 12 Jan 2021 16:10

As it occurred to anyone that perhaps Trump is the perfect Trojan horse for Putin & Xi to plunge USA into political turmoil, totally corrupt GOP, put incompetent stooges in charge of key federal institutions like DOJ, FBI, Pentagon, CIA..., bring out the darkest violent sections of their society and spur them into attacking the Capitol, put GOTUSA N°2 Pence and N°3 Pelosi under death threat, congress & senate under siege, and plunge the country into a state of fear and chaos that has never been seen for decades? They are unsure if Biden can do his inauguration ceremony in the open, referring back to Truman in 1945 who did it from the White House because there was WWII going on.

Oh did I mention 300,000+ Americans dead this year and nearly 4000 dying every day which shows no signs of abating?

What more would Putin, Xi and other enemies of USA want? They could sit back and watch the fun now chugging dumplings and vodka. No enemy of the state could have done a better job if they tried.

Sad and dangerous times for USA.

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 12 Jan 2021 16:31

If there is even 1% evidence to back up the allegation of DT being Russian Agent we can be certain Democrats would have found out after years of witch hunt. So far no one really found anything and Mullar wasted huge amount of American tax payers money on chasing that allegation.

DT may be most useless fellow and failure on Covid. So are the many nations in the EU. World largely forgotten and unprepared for any pandemic and was exposed as such. The possibility of this may be Bio attack by China on the world is large forgotten by all of us and we are all attacking our political leaderships without saying a single word on CCP and IX. At least DT has some courage to say that in public. Dems and entire MSM was chasing this Russia drama while pandemic is raging.

Even now they are busy into banning "words" like father, mother, brother, sister etc. in the congress and try to take away freedom of the their political opponents. It is indeed sad day of the US when the 1st Amendment is consigned into dust bin.

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 12 Jan 2021 16:38

Big Tech is deplatforming Trump and his supporters not because of its love for keeping conversations decent, but because it fears that the new Democratic administration, in combination with the Republicans, will force it to break up.

This is a specious argument. All of us, fed on free apps, OS & services have willingly put our data, privacy & lifestyles in the hands of big tech and can't imagine living without them. No doubt big tech is powerful, had global reach and can play the role of a censor which they love to hate since its helps them keep the fig leaf of "we are platforms not publishers" and take no responsibility on the content posted, and censoring other wise called "content moderation" makes them look responsible.

Even if one accepts the argument that Trump deplatforming is a decision motivated only by self preservation (which I don't) it only makes the Democrats or anyone in power in the US, and even abroad realise in one sudden and stark event, how powerful & pervasive big tech really is. This is a lesson they won't forget.

The political class is way more adept at self preservation than most enterprises. Politicians in the US, some Reps and many Govts outside US will all focus on breaking up tech monopolies or positions of dominance in the coming year.

I believe Tech Co.s have acted in good faith, but way too late to stop being the megaphones for Trump & his mad followers. In doing so, they have actually taken a big risk of exposing/highlighting how powerful they already are and how much more they can be both by their action and inaction.

m_saini · Post by **m_saini** » 12 Jan 2021 16:47

I think it's extremely disingenuous for americans to project their shortcomings on other nations like china or russia. Putin or Xi didn't invent the proud boys and several other militia gangs, Putin or Xi don't fight to keep the hillbillys armed with ar-15s and neither did they ask trump to keep tweeting like a moron all these years.

Trump has huge base in america. the dude won in 2016 and even now almost 74 million people voted for him despite all the covid deaths. Did the russians mind control all these people as well? Americans are either the dumbest people on earth OR are extremely aware of their choices when they elect people like trump but love to shift the blame to russians or xi.

It's like that meme where the comedian shoots the person sitting behind him and asks "why would x do this?"