No, seriously, I truly am worried about America

Frankly, I blame the internet!  During most of my life news from America came in short bursts via the radio (remember those?) or TV or the occasional reports in the press.  Looking back I realise that I did not possess any depth of knowledge about America, only a series of impressions, some good, some not so good but mostly, if subconsciously, it was a sort of "shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere".  Yes, yes, of course the beacon flickered from time to time but compared to other powerful nations from whom no light ever escaped, America was, on the whole, to be admired.

Today, better informed perhaps, although not expertly so, 'I 'ha'e ma doots'.  Over recent decades the news, which now arrives daily by dump truck compared to the snippets I used to get, has become truly depressing.  I read the latest story today by Andrew C. McCarthy at the National Review.  In it he reviews the actions taken by the Federal Government in pursuit of Trump's former campaign manager, Mr. Paul Manafort.  Taking Mr. McCarthy at his word, there is, on the face of it, little to admire about Mr. Manafort who is, by all accounts a dodgy, 'duck 'n' dive' merchant who moves in and around and through Big International Money irrespective of which country it might originate from.

For reasons which I still do not fully understand, a fanatical investigator by the name of Robert Mueller was employed by Trump's own Justice Department to investigate allegations - allegations, mind! - that Manafort was complicit in some scheme in which Trump colluded with Russian intelligence agencies to interfere with the election.  The important point is, according to Mr. McCarthy, that Congress is already investigating Manafort and he is fully co-operating with them.  So this is not a man who is giving the impression of attempting to hide something.  Even so, Mueller and his thuggish acolytes talked a judge into issuing a search warrant of Manafort's home executed at night.

It was not enough to get a search warrant to ransack the Virginia home of Paul Manafort, even as the former Trump campaign chairman was cooperating with congressional investigators. Mueller’s bad-asses persuaded a judge to give them permission to pick the door lock. That way, they could break into the premises in the wee hours, while Manafort and his wife were in bed sleeping. They proceeded to secure the premises — of a man they are reportedly investigating for tax and financial crimes, not gang murders and Mafia hits — by drawing their guns on the stunned couple, apparently to check their pajamas for weapons. [My emphasis]

Remember, this is not a man running a mafia gang or importing tons of dope from Mexico whose house has armed guards round it 24/7.  He is a Washingtonian political/financial operator who was already co-operating with Congress and whose lawyers had already handed over some 300 documents as requested.  Obviously Manafort moves in murky waters but so does almost everyone in Washington but does his wife deserve to have armed men bursting into her bedroom in the middle of the night?  Can you imagine the terror she must have felt?

If Mueller and his knuckle-dragging hit-men fail to produce enough evidence of a serious crime such that midnight raids and drawn guns were required then he, himself, should be put through the wringer.  In any event, it makes Washington appear to be not much different from Moscow!

 

Comments

[Whitewall]

Well David, we are too over here. There is an ever present threat to "We the People" beyond just our government and it is the difficult to see "Administrative State", sometimes called Deep State. This State endures no matter who holds elected office or when parties in power change. People attached to this State decide who will be investigated, or not, charged or not and prosecuted or not.

It is easy to see who works for it and who is against it. Mueller will either be its agent or possibly surprise everybody and come back with a couple of process crimes to justify his efforts. If he is part of the State and shows us only one sided wrong doing, it is possible the lid will blow in DC and elsewhere. Stand by.

[Bob]

Mueller and his knuckle-dragging hit-men are wasting their time looking into how Russia meddled in our electoral politics. If there were truly any justice they'd be looking into how Hillary has escaped from federal prison! How the mighty have fallen!

[JK]

Bob actually has a point - though whether he "intends it" or not I'm not qualified to address. I am however impressed Bob makes it - intended or unintended I know not.

I've seen "media reports" from over here - yeah me too Bob, Whitewall - that purport "sources familiar with the investigation but, are unwilling to go on the record" - have stated that Meuller's subpoenaed Manafort's financial records dating back to 2006.

What CNN (or FOX for that matter) has failed to recognize [acknowledge?] given that, going back that far is, prior to Manafort getting hired to do "dirty work" for Trump 2016 - Manafort had previously been employed as a lobbyist representing Ukrainian interests at the behest of The Podesta Group!

The name "Podesta" ring a bell David?

It should ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podesta_emails

Of course Bob might (will) strenuously object to my insinuating that John Podesta - natural brother to Tony - did have/has any association with the other, "Just because they're brothers JK and likely/maybe sit around the family dinner table swapping war stories ... doesn't mean that ..."

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/09/politics/podesta-manafort-lobbying/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podesta_Group

"They're in anyway in cahoots with all that's wrong with Washington DC."

Just my personal observation where Bob is concerned is, Bob will very probably be the first - depending on whatever "activity" Bob is up to currently (No Bob I'm not saying you're "Up to no good" - all I'm saying is, your attention might be focused elsewhere - internet-porn as an example) anyway, Bob in my considered opinion would probably be the first to agree with me that, where *our lobbyists* are concerned most, if not all are, "working to the detriment of the regular/ordinary US taxpayer."

Leaving Bob out of it I declare that, John Podesta (via Tony Podesta) "engineered" the infamous Steele Dossier - 'over there' David you have no idea how much disinformation damage that has caused over here.

I suspect (strongly) that I'm in the minority of my "likemindeds re Trump" but, my feeling is, let Mueller get on with his work. And, free of rein.

[AussieD]

Mueller should change his first name to Heinrich. The tactics certainly fit.

[AussieD]

I suspect (strongly) that I'm in the minority of my "likemindeds re Trump" but, my feeling is, let Mueller get on with his work. And, free of rein.

JK I agree that investigators need to be allowed to get on with their work however there has to be a set of standards applied to ensure that enthusiasm does not go beyond the bounds of ethics. On what I see and read of this I cannot for the life of me see any justification for bursting into a house in the middle of the night with guns drawn unless there is a reasonable expectation that vital evidence is going to be destroyed there and then and armed resistance is indicated. If that is not the case then my post at 03:20 is apt as that is not the standard expected in a civilized society.

[JK]

Aye AD. And I'd respectfully submit furthering support of your understanding:

https://audioboom.com/posts/6172424-russiagate-several-leaks-and-one-genuine-document-thadmccotter-johnfund-marykissel

https://audioboom.com/posts/6313506-did-the-obama-administration-wiretap-trump-tower-before-and-after-the-election-davidmdrucker-johnfund-thadmccotter

https://audioboom.com/posts/6320840-mueller-vs-manafort-andrewcmccarthy-thadmccotter

https://audioboom.com/posts/5880697-russian-agent-fusion-gps-hired-mi6-veteran-christopher-steele-to-compile-a-dossier-to-defame-trump-thadmccotter

https://audioboom.com/posts/6149719-searching-for-the-secret-fusion-gps-democratic-client-thadmccotter-marykissel

[Andra]

The Duck

Behold the duck. 
It does not cluck. 
A cluck it lacks. 
It quacks.

It is specially fond of a puddle or pond.

When it dines or sups, 
It bottoms ups.

There is absolutely no reason for this. I was just thinking about Ogden Nash and thought I should cheer you lot up. No need to thank me.

[AussieD]

Thank you anyway Andra

Interesting referenced material JK.

[David Duff]

Dammit, Andra, 'back in the day' I used to lighten this blog regularly with an occasional quote from Ogden Nash - and now I can't even find his book of poems! Anyway, thanks.

[Bob]

JK,

I'm not going to protest anything you wrote, and we apparently agree about the damage done by turning our government and politics into PR and (usually) legal bribery. The investigation is about foreign interference in our elections, not any particular Trump administration official. Facebook is even involved:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-propaganda/facebook-says-some-russian-ads-during-u-s-election-promoted-live-events-idUSKCN1BN2VG

[Bob]

Btw, JK, I still do things in real life and don't sit at the computer all day. I don't even have a Facebook account or smart phone. Weird, huh?

[Whitewall]

Bob,
"I don't even have a Facebook account or smart phone. Weird, huh?"
Neither do I! Nor do I have a twitter acct. I consider those online things to be 'weapons of mass distraction'.

[Bob]

Whitewall, Hell just froze a little more.

[JK]

Wooo ... I'm gonna have to go check the thermostat.

"Weird, huh"?

Not by my lights Bob. See Whitewall's above - I will admit to having, for a portion (the last eight months) of my association with Stratfor, a Linked-In account. In my defense I'd just say they "encouraged" me.

I used a flip-phone (still do) during all the years of that association however. There I drew the line.

[Bob]

JK,

If you ever figure out how *not* to have a LinkedIn account mention it in a post. Evidently if anyone you ever worked with mentions your name you get roped in. I think I have one but have never looked at it and have blocked their mail.