Law, Power, and Justice

TUESDAY 12 SEPTEMBER 2023

Israel (msnbc)

• Thousands are in the streets protesting the attack on a democratic judicial system conducted by Netanyahu and his allies.  What is afoot here is to change the very nature of Israeli society – to make it more strictly religious and authoritarian.  The mainstream media rarely covers this story, and even when it shows the number of people in the streets, doesn’t explain the significance of the events.  Two minutes later, back to the Trump soap opera and Biden being “too old.”

Trump

• In 2016, Donald Trump was trying to gain power and perhaps fulfill a debt to Vladimir Putin.  In 2024, Trump is trying to keep himself from going to jail.  He is more dangerous in 2024 than he was in 2016.  In addition, a Trump victory was something like an added benefit for Putin.  In 2024, a Trump victory means the difference between fighting Ukraine and the West and being given Ukraine.
• As John Brennon, former CIA director, says (MSNBC), a Trump victory is for Putin “absolutely essential.”  Putin is prolonging the war as long as he can, in anticipation of a Trump win.  It is “Putin’s main lifeline” if Trump returns to the White House. 
• Even John Bolton, says that other world leaders regard Trump as a “laughing fool.” (Note: I am not sure I have ever heard this expression in my life, but there you go). 
• Katy Kay (MSNBC) dutifully repeats Trump’s propaganda about why he wanted to leave NATO as if it were a sincerely held political position.  Katy Kay is, in my opinion, just not very bright. 
• Putin and the right-wing media are saying the same thing.
• Gen. McCaffrey: It would likely be the end of NATO.  He has called for the withdrawal of troops from South Korea.  “An utter disaster” if Trump came back into office.  The international community sees Trump as a “laughing stock and a fool.”   (Note: I guess this is what John Bolton was talking about).  We have Republicans who want to defund Ukraine. 
• John Brennon:  “I think Donald Trump…will be even more vicious as he seeks to gain the presidency…”  He will use “any tactic….Donald Trump and Putin have the same ambitions as far as the United States is concerned, divide the country…”  If he is elected, he will do anything he can to “push his own personal agenda.”  Putin is looking for any way to facilitate Trump’s victory.  “push Donald Trump over the line.”  “It will be the demise of NATO.”  Propaganda, amplifying messages negative about Biden.  They have very sophisticated means.  Pushing the essential states in the “digital environment.”
• Georgia is saying that a Russian company is the source of some of the doxing of grand jury members.
• Katy Kay:  there was a report after the 2016 election that Russia had meddled in some 18 elections in Europe.  They interfered in the Brexit election.  She doesn’t see Russia stopping trying to interfere in elections.