Law, Power, and Justice

THURSDAY 23 JANUARY 2025

CROOKS AND LIARS

• Eric Adams, Mayor of NYC, has decided he’s not a Democrat anymore.  He says that the Democratic Party left him.  Maybe Adams think they “left” him after they started to do investigations into his graft.  There is speculation he is seeking a pardon from the King of Pardons, Donald Trump.

THE TRUMP SCAM: Sham Statement by Trump

• Trump issues a tweet saying that he’s going to sanction and put tariffs on Russia if they don’t come to a peace agreement in Ukraine.  Joe Scarborough, of course, just parrots this over the air and acts as if this is a serious statement that hasn’t probably been approved by the Kremlin.  What imports are there to put sanctions and tariffs on? 
• The Wall Street Journal goes right along.  Alan Cullison deems the statement by Trump to be “quite significant.” (Note: See article in WFS).   The US has conducted a “breath taking sanctions regime” against Russia.  The statement is likely to be “quite a surprise to the Kremlin.”
• Cullison: …” sanctions are getting to be more important to Putin.”  Russian economy is “feeling some strains.”  There is a labor shortage.  Will sanctions alone stop the war?  The Russians don’t see a whole lot of reasons to negotiate.  (Note: Wow, listen to the deference from Scarborough for this WSJ reporter.) 
• Cullison: “The Russians do have the momentum…high casualty rate….the hope was that the Ukrainians were going to crack this year….” 
• Edward Luce: Financial Times: Putin has less territory now than he had when he first invaded Ukraine.  The costs in casualties is great.  Putin doesn’t want to talk.  This involves “Trump’s pride.” 
• “We’ll see if he follows through.”  This may be “saber rattling”.  (Note: This was said in the context of saber rattling being in order, not as a criticism.)

THE TRUMP SCAM: Climate

• Trump has pulled us out of the Paris Climate Accord. 

PODCAST: uKRAINE the Latest, 1/23/25

• New evidence of Russian war crimes, executing prisoners.
• It is being reported that more North Korean troops might be sent to Ukraine.

RANDOM NOTES

• German elections in a month.  AfD, Alternative for Germany a right-wing party. 
• In Italy, Georgia Meloni, dialed back some of her hard-line positions.  Her party is Brothers of Italy.  She supports Ukraine.
• In Hungry, the Fidesz party is opposed to all military aid for Ukraine. 
• Poland’s Right-wing Law and Justice Party, or PiS.
• It is disgusting to see people at DAVOS kissing Trump’s ass.  It is disgusting that we have a president who only requires praise and ego stroking to have him go along with policy.  It is a shame for this country.  It disgusts me even more then usual.  Think how different it would be to have someone like Bernie Sanders who actually had dignity, morals, beliefs, courage.  Dream on. 
• Just listened to a reporter saying that the best way for Ukraine to proceed is to figure out how to bribe Trump and his family with the best deal.  That’s the way Trump plays, so you have to play along.  What a shame.
• In Ukraine, corruption is treason.  Still, even after all the effort, upper-level corruption is still not getting enough attention.  Corruption costs lives, and also helps keep Ukraine out of the EU and NATO. 
• Another school shooting.  After shooting others, a 17-year-old killed himself before police could even get to him.  A  17-year-old.
• MSNBC’s Christine Roman described Trump’s tax cuts as “tax cuts for the middle class.”  THIS IS A LIE.
• A federal judge blocked Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship.
• Trump revoked security protection for Mike Pompeo.

John Radcliff (NYT)

• John Ratcliff is confirmed as CIA director.  (Note: This is a disaster.) The vote was 74 to 25.  Several Democrats joined all the Republicans. 
• Ratcliffe declassified intelligence related to Russia’s activities in 2016 even though it was thought (by the CIA) that the declassification would compromise sources and methods.  Republicans thought the information undermined the case that the Russians sought to interfere in the 2016 election on behalf of Trump. 
• Tough questioning about the release of this information came from Jon Ossoff and Mark Kelly.  The information was released on the same day as one of the debates in 2020 and Trump used the intelligence in the debate.