Alan: I am writing this post in reply to friend Fred M's reference to an article by ex-CIA operative Ray McGovern that Hillary Clinton employed dirty tricks to snuff Bernie Sanders' candidacy and, furthermore, that she fabricated stories of Russian hacking in order to cover up her own malfeasance. She did this by 1.) fabricating a whole cloth lie concerning Russian hacking, and 2.) she capitalized on residual "Red Scare" to make her story believable.
Fred also refers to WaPo's reprehensible business relationship with the CIA, a fact that is a sidelight to the larger story but nevertheless a fact I have documented below.
Fred also refers to WaPo's reprehensible business relationship with the CIA, a fact that is a sidelight to the larger story but nevertheless a fact I have documented below.
I have never doubted that the Clinton Machine had enough power within the DNC to extinguish Bernie's campaign, just as I have never doubted that Bernie was indeed shafted.
It is certainly plausible -- and may very well be probable -- that Hillary fabricated stories of Russian hacking in order to cover up her own malfeasance.
But since it is very hard to determine what adept Russian hackers can do -- and have done -- I cannot reach a conclusion on this matter although the story is internally coherent with Hillary (and, for that matter Trump's) determination to tell convenient lies while simultaneously inventing whole-cloth fantasies.
I will also mention Ray McGovern's admirable work within the CIA where he was trained - or at least had opportunity to hone his skills - as well as his post-CIA career as an investigative reporter and whistleblower: "Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. An ex-CIA analyst, his expertise on Russia goes back a half-century. He prepared and briefed The President’s Daily Brief for Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Reagan, and in retirement he co-founded Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS)."
Although it is my assumption that massive organizations -- like the CIA and our two major parties -- are routinely "up to no good," I also acknowledge the possibility that these organizations do at least some good work, as evidenced by Mr. McGovern himself.
In this regard, I will also mention my longstanding belief (prior to my growing realization of Russian electoral manipulation in the 2016 campaign) that Comey - who is represented in McGovern's article as colluding with Hillary -- was THE AGENT most directly responsible for Hillary's electoral defeat when he chose - optionally - to drop a pall of suspicion over Clinton at the 11th hour. In my view, that was the single definable blow that tilted the scales toward Trump.
If Comey was Hillary's friend, who needs enemies?
In this regard, I will also mention my longstanding belief (prior to my growing realization of Russian electoral manipulation in the 2016 campaign) that Comey - who is represented in McGovern's article as colluding with Hillary -- was THE AGENT most directly responsible for Hillary's electoral defeat when he chose - optionally - to drop a pall of suspicion over Clinton at the 11th hour. In my view, that was the single definable blow that tilted the scales toward Trump.
If Comey was Hillary's friend, who needs enemies?
What is most meaningful to me in all this is right-wing pundit P.J. O'Rourke's comment in the above meme: “I am endorsing Hillary, and all her lies and all her empty promises. It’s the second-worst thing that can happen to this country, but she’s way behind in second place. She’s wrong about absolutely everything, but she’s wrong within normal parameters.”
Having been raised in the Catholic tradition, I will soon have a century's exposure to the fundamental moral measure of "proportionality."
And P.J. O'Rourke (who is also saturated in Catholc moral theology) has this same understanding of the decisive role played by proportionality.
Hillary may be a monster in every way Fred alleges and suggests.
But Donald Trump is a MONSTER - all caps, bold font and written in flaming red.
As corrupt as Hillary may be -- even supposing the outer limit of plausible imagination -- Donald Trump is morally, interpersonally, racially and politically corrupt beyond imagination.
As putrescent as Decadent Donald is, I am completely confident that His Despicability is even worse than I think.
As putrescent as Decadent Donald is, I am completely confident that His Despicability is even worse than I think.
Why The Washington Post's New Ties To The CIA Are So Ominous
Video: P.J. O'Rourke Discusses New Book, "How The Hell Did This Happen," The 2016 Campaign
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2017/04/video-pj-orourke-discusses-new-book-how.htmlNetflix' New Documentary "The Great Hack" Reveals The Inner Workings Of "1984" In 2019
https://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2019/07/netflix-newly-released-documentary.html"The Disinformation Age: A Revolution In Propaganda," The Guardian
https://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-disinformation-age-revolution-in.html
I will conclude with friend Tom Magnuson's full-throated endorsement of a book titled "Democracy In Chains" by Duke Historian Nancy McLean:
Duke Historian Discovers Trove Of Papers Revealing The Far Right's Plan For America
https://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2019/08/duke-historian-discovers-trove-of.html
Although there will always critics -- even of motherhood and apple pie -- one of my core political assumptions (which is also an essential assumption of Bernie Sanders) is that we must follow the money. (Speaking of which... I donated more money to Bernie's campaign than I did to Hillary's.)
In my own pursuit of "the money," it is clear that Hillary and Bill's net worth is trivial in comparison to the traitorous billionaire-plutocrat-fascist-race-war-promoter who now occupies The Oval Office.
Footnote: Here is a negative review of McLean's new book by Stephen Horwitz who identifies himself as a "professional economist of 30 years and a scholar of libertarian ideas."
"I am persuaded that most popular/populist political critiques tend toward conspiratorial thinking. And although there are are few things to be learned from conspiracists -- clearly 9/11's Official Story is eye-poppingly bogus -- conspiracism reduces to an inescapable swamp whose chthonic purpose (albeit unconscious) is to undermine every established epistemological norm -- so that conspiracists (whatever their myopic contributions may be) ultimately contribute to the advancement of radical right-wing agendas which, like Trump's own toxically self-aggrandizing agenda, depend on Iguazu torrents of complete bullshit."
Tryanny's Best Kept Secret: It's ALL About Epistemology
Compendium Of Pax Posts: Persuading A Loved One That His Conspiracism Is Mostly Crazy
My Friends' Devoted Conspiracism Is As Crazy As Trump's Birtherism. What To Do With Lunacy?
Ongoing Correspondence With A Conspiracist Friend Re: The "Staged" Slaughter At Sandy Hook
"More On The Newtown Massacre": Professor David Ray Griffin And The Swamp Of Conspiracism
How Rochester, New York Detective Fantigrossi "Leaned On Me" To Identify The Wrong Man
The Thinking Housewife's Conspiracism: Exploring The Falsehood
"More On The Newtown Massacre": Professor David Ray Griffin And The Swamp Of Conspiracism
"Crisis Acting": A Standard Conspiracist Hoax That Supposedly Reveals Hoaxes (Snopes)
"More On The Newtown Massacre": Professor David Ray Griffin And The Swamp Of Conspiracism
Failings Of "Democracy In Chains"
However, even if Horwitz's critique is as well-targeted as William Tell's arrow, my bedrock assumption is that America's 1% -- perhaps unknown even to themselves -- is working (albeit unconsciously) on an agenda that will replace America's vestigial democracy with a greed-driven, neo-fascist form of governance that will accelerate the ecological degradation of the planet, making life not only "the eternal struggle" that Life always is but, notably, making life insufferable for most human beings.
"The Love Of Money Is The Root Of All Evil": An Open Invitation To "Christian" "Conservatives"
One final comment...
"I am persuaded that most popular/populist political critiques tend toward conspiratorial thinking. And although there are are few things to be learned from conspiracists -- clearly 9/11's Official Story is eye-poppingly bogus -- conspiracism reduces to an inescapable swamp whose chthonic purpose (albeit unconscious) is to undermine every established epistemological norm -- so that conspiracists (whatever their myopic contributions may be) ultimately contribute to the advancement of radical right-wing agendas which, like Trump's own toxically self-aggrandizing agenda, depend on Iguazu torrents of complete bullshit."
Trump Tells The Truth: "I Lie"
Tryanny's Best Kept Secret: It's ALL About Epistemology
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
Again, I side with P.J. O'Rourke: “I am endorsing Hillary, and all her lies and all her empty promises. It’s the second-worst thing that can happen to this country, but she’s way behind in second place. She’s wrong about absolutely everything, but she’s wrong within normal parameters.”
CONSPIRACY - CONSPIRACISM
Compendium Of Pax Posts: Persuading A Loved One That His Conspiracism Is Mostly Crazy
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
My Friends' Devoted Conspiracism Is As Crazy As Trump's Birtherism. What To Do With Lunacy?
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
Harvey/Irma Hurricane Conspiracy Reveals The Idiocy Of Most Conspiracism
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
Ongoing Correspondence With A Conspiracist Friend Re: The "Staged" Slaughter At Sandy Hook
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
"More On The Newtown Massacre": Professor David Ray Griffin And The Swamp Of Conspiracism
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
"Who Killed Sister Cathy?" Tom Nugent
How Rochester, New York Detective Fantigrossi "Leaned On Me" To Identify The Wrong Man
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
The Thinking Housewife's Conspiracism: Exploring The Falsehood
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
Discussion With 9/11 Truther Friend About Epistemology, Belief, Certainty And Purpose
The 9/11 Truth Movement: Where Does It Lead?
"More On The Newtown Massacre": Professor David Ray Griffin And The Swamp Of Conspiracism
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
Conspiracy Thinking, The Death Of Shared Identity And The Collapse Of Common Purpose
Conspiracy Thinking, The Death Of Shared Identity And The Collapse Of Common Purpose
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