In
his book Collusion, Guardian investigative reporter Luke
Harding assures us that the Russian/Trump connection scandal is even
more disturbing than we might have thought. Sordid details confirm
the worst. We're accustomed to corporate disregard for life system
and workers in their singular pursuit of profits... and we're
accustomed to politicians manipulating and lying but the Trump
administration has taken this to new lengths. I mean, Gary Hart was
driven out of a presidential race for dating a woman while separated
from his spouse. Ed Muskie for raising his voice to be heard in a
crowd and getting a little emotional in a speech. We have an
administration of pro-business fanatics, yes, not all that unusual –
corporations do heavily fund the campaigns of most contenders and so
influence their policies. But when have we had high government
officials routinely dallying and scheming with official enemies? Top
government employees take oaths to defend the constitution against
all enemies, foreign and domestic so that would include also a lot of
business interests, as well as the Nazi party and KKK... hell, even
half the supreme court. But back to Russia.
Cutting
to the chase, Russia is owned and run by and for oligarchs/gangsters.
This seems a force more pernicious, and successful, than the former
Soviet leaders, who supposedly were out to conqueor the world. These
folks know how to do it. Maybe because they've harnassed the power of
greed. Ironic for the nation that once proclaimed itself the champion
of ordinary working people. Collusion makes it quite clear
that not only is Russia interested in disrupting democracy everywhere
but is also partnering, across national boundaries, with like-minded
oligarchs. By hook or by crook, by bribery or blackmail, intimidation
or partnership, they have captured the highest levels of U.S.
government. The White House. and its power to appoint department
heads and staff the judiciary, is taken. The congress is pretty much
owned though there remains some feeble resistance. The Supreme Court
is similar, corrupted but not fully in their hands, yet. State Houses
across the country are also in the fold, states like Michigan and
Wisconsin, former unioniszed strongholds of democracy. The fall
elections may be the last opportunity for effective resistance to
what is arguably a world-wide oligarchic coup.
That's
the conclusion. Collusion provides plenty of disturbing
evidence. Take the Russian oligarch, Dmitry Rybolovlev, purchasing a
Trump Florida mansion for $95 million. Trump had paid $41 million
four years early. This in a sagging Florida market. The Russian
oligarch never even visited the building, before nor after purchase.
He ended up having it demolished. Was this money laundering? A
payoff, purchasing perhaps a U.S. president? At least 63 individuals
with Russian passports purchased Trump-branded Tower properties in
Florida totaling $98 million. Many of the other buyers were limited
liability companies whose owners were not identifiable. More Russian
mobsters than seems coincidental owned or own Trump Tower Manhattan
condos or have offices there.
When
Trump's casinos went bankrupt it was Deutsche Bank, a German bank
with New York offices, that bailed him out. All previous lenders were
refusing loan requests, having been once burned. Later Deutsche NY
was suing him to recover $640 million he had personally guaranteed
for more Trump Towers, an acrimonious situation of suits and
counter-suits. Deutsch Bank in Germany did two very odd things. They
loaned him, a guy who was refusing to repay loans, the money to pay
off his loans and undertake new projects. The other odd thing,
Deutsche was caught money-laundering, Russian money laundering, in
the billions.
The
Russian hacking is also broader than I was aware. They may have
tilted the British Brexit vote and interfered in French and German
elections as well, probably others. They like to fund both left and
right factions, but seem to prefer zany rightwingers like Le Pen, in
France. The object is to disrupt targeted democracies. The ideal of
course would be to place “agents” or compromised candidates in
powerful positions. This they seem to have done, to such a degree
that we may not be allowed to find out, it being far from certain
that the Mueller investigation will be allowed to continue. An
informed, activist electorate is probably more critical today than at
any other time in U.S. history.
