Is Trump the Siberian-Candidate?

[paxamericana]

Trump is manipulable and tend to conflate issues. Helsinki is perhaps a reflection on how Putin is a master of statecraft. But more importantly, what can Putin actually control Trump with? If Trump is really compromised, then why is America's position on Russia is as unfavorable now than it has ever been. If the protest over Trump's comment has not shown the rest of the world that both Democrats and Republicans abhor Russia (puntin's syndicate) would it not be feasible to conclude that Putin's hold over trump if any is limited and perhaps a detriment. 

Objectively speaking I think Trump is more concern that by admitting that Russia meddled in the election it would undermine his election result. 

He's putting self before country and that's the real shame. 

Edited July 18, 2018 by paxrom

[Argus]

16 hours ago, paxrom said:

Trump is manipulable and tend to conflate issues. Helsinki is perhaps a reflection on how Putin is a master of statecraft. But more importantly, what can Putin actually control Trump with? If Trump is really compromised, then why is America's position on Russia is as unfavorable now than it has ever been. If the protest over Trump's comment has not shown the rest of the world that both Democrats and Republicans abhor Russia (puntin's syndicate) would it not be feasible to conclude that Putin's hold over trump if any is limited and perhaps a detriment. 

Objectively speaking I think Trump is more concern that by admitting that Russia meddled in the election it would undermine his election result. 

He's putting self before country and that's the real shame. 

We can only speculate at this point. On CNN this morning the host was interviewing a former security guy and that guy said he's spoken to numerous former intelligence professionals and that they say the way Trump is acting is the way someone compromised by the Russians WOULD act. That's not evidence, but it bears thinking upon.

What Trump can and can't do depends on those around him and their level of suspicion and obedience. Ultimately, let's suggest that if Putin wanted to, say, invade and retake possession of Baltic states which fled when the Soviet Union came apart (Latvia, Lithuania & Estonia) he could simply move in and do it, and Trump could veto the US doing anything about it.

I'm assuming that what the Russians have is more than the famed peepee tape because Trump has been unable to borrow money in the US for a long time due to his repeated bankruptcies and contract violations. One of his best sources of financing have been Russian oligarchs, and given his history of skating fast and loose with laws I'm fairly sure that they have enough evidence, and more than enough, to have him convicted of money laundering a dozen times over. Which means if he refuses to obey they can release the information and Trump will ultimately go to prison, perhaps along with his sons.

But if the Russians don't want to do that (and I don't think they will) they will no-doubt content themselves with him breaking apart the western alliance and turning Americans against one another. I note also that despite everyone but Trump acknowledging Russia tried to interfere in the last election and is going to do so again there has been no coordinated attempt by the US government to do anything about it. There is no federal effort to provide money or expertise or organization to strengthen electronic security around state voting systems, for example. Is that because Trump, being a thoroughly unprincipled man who had no problem, by his own admission, in dealing with organized crime figures to get work done in New York, is hoping Russia will help him again, or because he was ordered to do nothing? I frankly, have no doubt either could be true. If the devil was helping Trump he'd be fine with that, never mind Putin.