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115 responses to “Friday’s Forum”
steve
LGM reviewed an article looking at sepsis rates i the 2nd trimester in Texas since they passed their harsh anti-abortion laws. It has increased, almost doubling. Since most people wont read the entire article, here is the key piece from the original.
“We found 120 women who died while hospitalized during pregnancy or up to six weeks postpartum in 2022 and 2023 in the inpatient billing data. The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee will not review deaths from these years, stating that they will skip to 2024 in an effort to get a more “contemporary” view of deaths, a choice that faced widespread criticism. (The committee chair said there was “absolutely no nefarious intent” behind the decision.)”
It’s especially notable IMO that after passing the law Texas suspended collecting data on Maternal mortality and morbidity. They clearly strongly expected there to be an increase so they decided not to look. Not nefarious, just misogynistic.
Steve
steve
In other health care news, Texas is looking at further relaxation of vaccine requirements. Key quotes…
“This follows a general trend of rebellion against vaccines in Texas. Between 2014-2023, the rate of children without the recommended vaccinations has increased from 7% to 18%. The results has been very predictable:
In the oil towns of west Texas a measles outbreak is spreading. At least 58 people have been infected and 13 are in hospital, the biggest surge in Texas in 30 years. Health officials reckon hundreds more cases have yet to be detected.
How many people are infected now? It’s hard to tell as the CDC website on this measles outbreak has not been updated for 2 weeks.”
I knew the drop in vaccination rates in red states was bad but I didnt know it was that bad. Again, note that the CDC is not being allowed to report on this. I think we need to accept that RFK as Sec of Health was not just an election payback but an acknowledgment that Trump’s core supporters believe the same things that RFK believes.
@steve: this is like what put the kibosh on the USSR. All the “measured statistics” were made up, so nothing could be decided on actual measured data. Final result? Collapse of economy.
Guess we’re going to have to learn the hard way again is that closing your eyes and pretending a problem doesn’t exist doesn’t get rid of the problem—it just increases the death rate.
@Rob1: Yes, it could. There were several active polio outbreaks globally in 2024. If people don’t vaccinate for it, there’s enough global business and global travel that it could end up here.
It is absolutely astonishing that people would put their children at risk like this.
It’s not as widespread as it used to be, but plenty of cases still happen, mostly in low income countries where vaccination rates are low. Consider that for herd immunity, a low vaccination rate can be 95-97% depending on the pathogen and ease of transmission. Ideally everyone should be vaccinated, except those who can’t take a vaccine due to allergies, immunodeficiency, or some other valid medical reason.
In MAGA-land romance is out, “rapey” leadership and celebrities are in.
The Fight for Romance: How Oklahoma’s Senate Bill 593 Threatens the Books We Love
Senate Bill 593 broadens the definition of “obscenity” and “unlawful pornography,” allowing private citizens to sue anyone who produces or distributes materials they believe to be obscene. Yes, that’s right. They’re putting bounties on those who write, publish, and distribute romance using vague language and offering rewards to those turning them in. This would also obviously include fanfiction. [..]
Under this bill, authors, publishers, and even bookstores could face lawsuits from anyone who decides a book crosses the line. If a lawsuit is successful, the penalties are staggering:
At least $10,000 per image or depiction deemed “unlawful,”
Up to 10 years in prison for possession or distribution of these materials,
Fines up to $500,000 for organized distribution. [..]
Romance novels are beloved for their ability to explore the full spectrum of human emotion, including sexual desire and intimacy. But if SB 593 passes, books that feature explicit scenes—no matter how integral to character development or plot—could be labeled obscene.
Elon was prancing around the stage at CPAC waving a chainsaw, too.
Jay L Gischer
@Rob1: Hmm, these days I think most romance novels are published as e-books only. This raises some interesting legal questions.
Not to mention that I wonder if the men of the Oklahoma legislature feel threatened by the depiction of men in the romance novels their partners are reading. Because I feel sure that there are a fair few women in Oklahoma reading romance novels.
Hmm, these days I think most romance novels are published as e-books only.
There are plenty that still get printed. I can easily see challenges raised for popular books like the Iron Flame series, or Outlander. Casey McQuiston’s books too.
Lucysfootball
@CSK: Someone said it seemed like he was in a ketamine-induced euphoric high. Maybe he’ll accidentally turn on the chainsaw and trip over it…
wr
@Kathy: I think you guys are kind of missing the point. The bill isn’t aimed at romance novels — this message is from an organization of romance writers or readers saying the bill would threaten their genre. But this bill itself seems to cover everything. So basically anyone could sue any writer or publisher for ANYTHING.
Could we sue the felon multiple times for all the obscene passages in his branded Bible?
I know, if it’s religion anything goes.
Slugger
What are you all going to spend your Musk tax savings rebate checks on? In 2001 I bought some high end sports equipment with the $600 that I got in the Bush stimulus, but the additional age I have now make sports equipment impractical. I’m expecting $5000. Maybe some botox injections?
Wait until the statute is used for LGBT+ romance novels. I have no doubt that someone will argue that any romance which is not entirely heterosexual is obscene by definition.
Well, I feel a little better: Trump’s approval is dropping, and it appears that “he’s going to far”, and “he hasn’t done enough about high prices” are primary reasons.
Also,
Musk, Trump’s most high-profile adviser, is not getting good marks either: Just 34 percent of respondents in the Post poll approved of Musk’s role in the federal government, while 54 percent of respondents in the CNN poll said it was bad for Trump to have given the SpaceX CEO a prominent role in his administration.
Jay L Gischer
@Scott: I am far from an expert on romance novels. The shortcomings highlighted are more likely to be emotional that physical. Although there probably not a lot of hetero romance novels where the woman is taller than the man. Probably not zero, though. Remember Rule 34.
Jax
Anybody know what’s up with Memeorandum? 2nd day I haven’t been able to get it to load.
Wouldn’t be the first time. A particularly odious line of attack from Republicans is that trans people are inherently obscene. I’ve been waiting for Insta to ban me as being obscene even though nothing I post is actually obscene.
Jax
@CSK: Strange. It will load on Chrome, but not Opera.
During the first month of his second term, Donald Trump’s popularity started out mildly positive but has slowly eroded, according to the FiveThirtyEight averages.
The very latest surveys show a negative trend, as the Washington Post noted:
Trump’s approval ratings this week in polls — including the Post-Ipsos poll and others from Reuters, Quinnipiac University, CNN and Gallup — have ranged from 44 to 47 percent. In all of them, more disapprove than approve of him.
That’s a reversal from the vast majority of previous polls, which showed Trump in net-positive territory.
…Elon Musk’s assault on the federal bureaucracy is relatively unpopular. A February 19 Quinnipiac survey found 55 percent of registered voters believe Musk has too much power. An Emerson poll gave Musk a 41 percent job-approval rating, and an Economist-YouGov poll gave him a 43 percent favorability rating.
But by far Trump’s greatest vulnerability is over his management of an economy where renewed signs of inflation are evident…his job-approval ratings on managing the economy are slipping a bit, as a February 19 Reuters-Ipsos poll indicated:
[T]he share of Americans who think the economy is on the wrong track rose to 53% in the latest poll from 43% in the January 24–26 poll. Public approval of Trump’s economic stewardship fell to 39% from 43% in the prior poll …
Trump’s rating for the economy is well below the 53% he had in Reuters/Ipsos polling conducted in February 2017, the first full month of his first term as U.S. president.
And a mid-February Gallup survey found 54 percent of Americans disapproving Trump’s handling of the economy and 53 percent disapproving his handling of foreign trade. More ominous for Trump if the sentiment persists is that negative feelings about current economic conditions are as prominent as they were when they helped lift Trump to the presidency.
He ran on extravagant, dumb promises to fix complex problems “on day one.” Instead, he’s launched trade wars, threatening to occupy Gaza, and sold out to Putin. And deputized the world’s richest man, worst ketamine addict, and biggest welfare queen to fire veterans, park rangers, air traffic controllers, nuclear bomb staffers, and health experts.
Reckless incompetence and mass layoffs can’t wear well over time.
“Elon gated” – mothers of his children can’t contact him.
Pro-population growth guy won’t take care of his own population.
Singer Grimes Publicly Begs Elon Musk To Address Their Child’s ‘Medical Crisis
“I am sorry to do this publicly but it is no longer acceptable to ignore this situation. This requires immediate attention,” posted Grimes, who shares three children with Musk, the tech billionaire who’s embedded himself in President Donald Trump’s administration. [..]
“I’m not giving any details but he won’t respond to texts call or mails and has skipped every meeting and our child will suffer life long impairment if he doesn’t respond asap, so I need him to fucking respond and if I have to apply public pressure then I guess that’s where we are at,” [..]
[Concurrently] Ashley St. Clair, the conservative influencer who says Musk fathered a child with her last year, also used X to get Musk’s attention last week.
“Elon, we have been trying to communicate for the past several days, and you have not responded,” she wrote in a now-deleted post.
[Meanwhile at CPAC] “I am become meme,” Musk, who has reportedly fathered 13 children with four different women, told the crowd.
Sheesh. The guy is trying to s̶a̶v̶e̶ screw up the world for crying out loud. Cut him some slack.
reid
I’m trying to login to the government’s Trusted Traveler Program page to get some documents, and it seems to be completely broken. More proof that government doesn’t work! /snark
Is this just fallout from the idiocy of firing everyone? Is it 1.5d chess intended to convince the public that government is inefficient? Will people finally see the light about Trump, Musk, and GOP?
@Moosebreath: “I have no doubt that someone will argue that any romance which is not entirely heterosexual is obscene by definition.”
You’re thinking way too small. These are people who insist that Beloved is obscene. And Catcher in the Rye. And sometimes Romeo and Juliet.
Yes, it’s terrible that they’ll be going after any book that could in anyway be read as gay. But they will be going after everything. Remember, it just takes one person to launch one of these suits.
So I strongly hope the people fighting this bill aren’t shouting about how bad it will be if “gay” books are suppressed. There’s still going to be people in Oklahoma who can live with that. Start telling them it’s every book, period, as long as there’s one person who wants to complain about it.
Yesterday and starting the previous evening. Strange thing was I could reach Techmeme and Mediagazer that are sister sites. This morning I’ve been able to reach Memeorandum.
Failed on my Mac in both Chrome and Safari and on my Android phone, on Chrome and DuckDuckGo. But now all seems normal.
I will repeat, Musk is a self medicating rich guy who is suffering from a major mental illness. Watch the videos of his appearance at CPAC and try and follow his train of thought. The felon seems lucid by comparison.
TL;DR, “French far-right leader Jordan Bardella on Friday morning cancelled a scheduled speech at the US Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, after … Steve Bannon flashed an apparent fascist-style salute (ed. it was totally a nazi salute) there hours before.”
A former Soviet intelligence officer has alleged that Donald Trump was recruited by the KGB in 1987 and given the codename “Krasnov.”
Alnur Mussayev, 71, a former head of intelligence in Kazakhstan and before that a Soviet KGB officer, made the explosive claim in a Facebook post on Thursday. He claimed that he served in the 6th Directorate of the KGB in Moscow, which was responsible for counter-intelligence support within the economy. One of its key objectives, he claimed, was “recruiting businessmen from capitalist countries.”
Mussayev wrote that in 1987 “our directorate recruited Donald Trump, a 40-year-old American businessman, under the pseudonym Krasnov.” He offered no corroborating evidence, but is a well-known former senior intelligence agent. The Daily Beast has reached out to him for comment.
In his Facebook post, he said that his department specialized in recruiting spies and intelligence sources from the West, asserting once again that Trump had been brought into the fold.
He made another shocking allegation in another comment, saying: “Today, the personal file of resident ‘Krasnov’ has been removed from the FSB. It is being privately managed by one of Putin’s close associates.”
Proof positive? No. Another piece of evidence? Yes. Is there some secret FSB disinfo behind this? Is it somehow in Putin’s interest to have this come out? Maybe, it might be a crude reminder to Trump, a threat. But for it to be a viable threat it would have to be true.
I’m wondering how they “recruited” Trump initially. Kompromat? Must be.
gVOR10
Kevin Drum posted yesterday on his health. He says the flu and pneumonia are still bad, but he’s been posting since. I’m hoping the posting is a sign of recovery.
I can’t think of a single reason to recruit the felon that long ago. Around 2015, sure. In the 80s, no. unless the Soviets had something against the USFL (and I don’t think the timing works for that)
Jen
@Kathy: They’d recruit him back then, absolutely. He was wealthy and a major political donor. His wife was from a Soviet bloc country. They play the long game.
Mister Bluster
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio arrested at Capitol after scuffle with protester
Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the far-right Proud Boys who was pardoned by President Donald Trump for his conviction related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, was arrested Friday outside the Capitol after a scuffle with a protester.
Tarrio swiped at the protester’s hand after she put it close to Tarrio’s face while he was speaking with a journalist. Capitol Police officers immediately surrounded Tarrio, put him in handcuffs and took him into custody.
I can’t think of one that would still worry him. He’s been found to be a fraud, a rapist, and a felon by three separate courts, he was impeached twice, and his base of deplorables isn’t bothered even a little. If it’s money, he’d made a lot by fleecing said deplorables (and I’d be very surprised if he hasn’t been skimming off his campaign funds, or the federal budget).
I don’t know. Maybe Mad Vlad has a photo of him showing compassion to a poor person of color. You know, something truly beyond the pale.
Here are three links on this story from various sources that were working when I posted them. I found these when I Googled “Alnur Mussayev”. There are more but I think that three links is the limit for the comments on OTB.
So I voted (advance) in the Ontario election today. The unnecessary one called by a right wing premier who recently said he 100% supports Trump, but is campaigning on opposing him.
Anyway, typical right wing shenanigans seem to be going on. My wife and I both had our registrations lost. The pill worker who registered us again said this has been happening all day. Whole streets have disappeared. Same day registration is allowed but will be causing long lines. Of course there was one small sign indicating the polling place and it was buried in snow. Which was also booked for a kids sports tournament so there was no parking.
I have never seen this before in Ontario. PC candidates are not showing up at candidates debates or events. There is an eerie feel to this election
Jen
@CSK: Flattery is all they would need. You don’t need pressure if you have a willing asset. There are plenty of willing assets out there ready to turn over information for the dumbest reasons. There’s an acronym for it–Money, Ideology, Compromised, Ego. Two fit right off the bat: money and ego. Compromised–who knows?
ETA: I think people tend to overthink what recruitment of an asset means. They could have wanted his help in securing real estate to cover for the Russian mob, to move money. This was right before the collapse of the Berlin wall. “Comrade Trump, we wish for you to build your hotel here in Moscow. All we need is some help with property purchases in New York.”
And boom, he’s broken a law, *that* becomes the leverage, and he’s in their pockets.
A former Soviet intelligence officer has alleged that Donald Trump was recruited by the KGB in 1987 and given the codename “Krasnov.”
While it is clear that Trump is doing Putin’s bidding, I would be extremely wary of these particular claims.
He made another shocking allegation in another comment, saying: “Today, the personal file of resident ‘Krasnov’ has been removed from the FSB. It is being privately managed by one of Putin’s close associates.”
How on earth would Mussayev know? Are high-level FSB agents actually sharing information with the kind of guy who would put stuff on Facebook?
And if high-level FSB agents are sharing this information, chances are it’s at least partially untrue.
It’ll take epidemics to fix this. John SF had a good quote the other day:
History repeats. First as a tragedy, then as a farce.
Monala
@DK: Slugger mentioned Musk’s supposed “tax savings rebate.” I heard a woman mention that just today, that Trump is supposed to give 20% of all the savings back as stimulus to the American people. I suppose this is how they’ll hold off people’s disapproval for his handling of the economy for a while — the (empty) promise of some rebate checks.
I am not going to lay down a marker as to whether I feel the info about Trump is true or disinformation, however, highly sensitive information has been released on social media platforms before, just think back to the (Air Force?) guy in the military who released Top Secret files on the Twitch platform.
Mister Bluster
I have entered Alnur Mussayev in the search fields at Reuters and AP News.
No results for this story.
While it is clear that Trump is doing Putin’s bidding, I would be extremely wary of these particular claims.
Yes and no. I wouldn’t put too much emotional stock in it being accurate. On the other hand, having this sort of thing circulating will keep Trump’s inner circle on edge. I’m all about them losing sleep.
Mister Bluster
First Lady Trump will bring President Musk to Fort Knox and the two of them will be casing the joint.
The KGB wanted to destroy American professional football after what we did to their hockey team at the 1980 Olympics.
I accept your statement without question.
But what does that have to do with the USFL?
Jen
Also, Trump was rude AF to Governor Mills of Maine today, and literally threatened to withhold all federal funds from her state if she doesn’t sign on to his anti-trans nonsense. She said, and I quote, “see you in court.”
But seriously, if things don’t go well for the felon and his project 2025 moves are not popular, he may launch a full assault on transgender people. Say withholding all federal funding if a state dares treat a trans person as human.
“Recruited” can mean making the effort. They would assign a code name right off the bat. Unless direct evidence emerges that the recruiting was successful this is probably going to be a nothing-burger.
JohnSF
@Michael Reynolds:
@CSK:
@Kathy:
@Jen:
All things considered, I continue to doubt Trump was ever “recruited” per se.
He would be in the category of “unwitting agent of influence”.
Holding views of congruent usefulness, and susceptible to persuasion by flattery and “connection”.
Greedy, arrogant, stupid, fascinated by power and with a basic ideology of a mish-mash of half-understood paleocon concepts.
The KGB back then would size up almost any foreigner visiting Russia who they considered of any potential interest, and if judged possibly useful or subornable, open a file.
He probably fits into a personal category of mine: the “nit-witting agent.”
He should be compromisable, but is just too thick to realise it, lol.
Being utterly shameless is Trump’s super-power.
And he’s got enough experience of crookery various to conceal any laundromat activity behind plausible deniability re real-estate dealings.
Now, Paul Manafort, that’s another matter entirely.
My worry is that if this particular claim gets disproved, it will give cover to those wanting to deny that Trump is Putin’s pocket.
I don’t even think it’s unlikely that Trump is a Russian asset, but even so, I would be wary of embracing this particular claim. Why is Mussayev telling us this? Why now?
Maybe the Kazakhs are worried about Russia, too. But it could just as easily be part of a deliberate Russian disinformation campaign.
Or perhaps Mussayev is simply a vain has-been looking for attention.
I suspect we can now look forward to Ian Fleming joining J.R.R. and C.J.R. Tolkien, (and Robert Jordan, for that matter) metaphorically looking down and screaming “what do those idiots think they are DOING?”
Get enough people to bite, then discredit Mussayev. Next, everyone claiming that Trump is a Russian asset can be dismissed as a crank.
Sort of the same thing that happened to Al Gore. Want to deny global warming? Create a narrative in which believers in global warming are following a vainglorious fool who claimed to have invented the Internet.
This is not exactly a new strategy.
JohnSF
@dazedandconfused:
Good ol’ Marx; pants as a political philosopher, but a very astute commentator on contemporary events.
[T]he share of Americans who think the economy is on the wrong track rose to 53% in the latest poll from 43% in the January 24–26 poll. Public approval of Trump’s economic stewardship fell to 39% from 43% in the prior poll …
Clearly, Fortune needs to bring his “everything is proceeding as it should, be patient, give Trump a chance” argument to a larger audience than ours.
Eusebio
@Monala:
“… Musk’s supposed “tax savings rebate.” I heard a woman mention that just today, that Trump is supposed to give 20% of all the savings back as stimulus to the American people.”
If each taxpayer gets such a rebate, I think I’ll put it all into crypto—easy come, easy go.
On the other hand, if it’s determined that the Government Efficiency Department’s actions have resulted in increased costs due to separated employee compensation, employee rehiring, the need for expensive contract employees, restructuring of existing government contracts, and the myriad administrative and legal costs associated with straightening out the mess that’s been made, then maybe each taxpayer will receive an equal-sized bill…a regressive tax of musk’s dreams.
Just nutha ignint cracker
@Jax: The shopping tabs will take you back to where you were; just make a list of which ones were open. 😉
That’s pretty much my thinking too. The Rooskies take a hard look at anyone who has or may have “connections” as SOP. They start “a file” on everyone. But there are certain types of people who their (and our) spooks judge as unsuitable for a clandestine relationship. Impulsive self-absorbed blabbermouths…and fools easily manipulated by praise and/or BS, aka “useful idiots”.
Just nutha ignint cracker
@drj: Cue up the comparisons to the “Steele File.”
I suspect we can now look forward to Ian Fleming joining J.R.R. and C.J.R. Tolkien, (and Robert Jordan, for that matter) metaphorically looking down and screaming “what do those idiots think they are DOING?”
Throw in Tom Clancy and John LeCarre while you’re at it too.
James Bond stopped having much resemblance to Ian Fleming’s creation a long time ago and I’m not just talking the movies. There have been like 25 James Bond novels since Fleming’s death.
A former Soviet intelligence officer has alleged that Donald Trump was recruited by the KGB
The most compelling evidence against this is just how effectively Trump has worked on Putin’s behalf over the past decade or two. It would be, by far, the most competent he has ever proven to be at anything…
JohnSF
@Bill Jempty:
The really interesting idea would be to go back to Fleming’s novels and do them straight, and set in the 1955-65 context.
A bit like the original BBC version of Le Carre’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” and “Smiley’s People”.
But i doubt they’d ever consider the option of looking to the actual books.
(Albeit, there’s some parts they’d just have to slide past a bit, to avoid utter shock horror)
Fleming was, let us say, “a man of his time”.
Around 15 years ago Dick Van Dyke claimed he was approached to play James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Connery had quit the role after You Only Live Twice.
I can just imagine how they would have cast the rest of the movie
Marlo Thomas as Tracy
John Banner as Blofeld
Danny Thomas as Marc Ange Draco. Only appropriate because Draco is Tracy’s father
Alice Ghostley as Irma Bunt
Edward Platt as M
John Fiedler as Q
JohnSF
@dazedandconfused:
I knew some people, mostly academics, who visited the USSR in the early 80’s and who had a little game of “who’s your KGB guy?”
Anyone who didn’t realise that was going on was a chump.
Why, hello, Mr Trump.
JohnSF
@Bill Jempty:
Lol.
I now have mental picture of Dick Van Dyke doing Bond with his rather hilarious English accent.
Incidentally, did you know Fleming was the author of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”?
@Bill Jempty: “Throw in Tom Clancy and John LeCarre while you’re at it too.”
LeCarre’s work is controlled by his sons, and they are doing a damn fine job with recent adaptations. I’d say The Night Agent is among the best LeCarre dramatizations, and The Little Drummer Girl was far superior to the movie version, if only because they didn’t cast a 40 year-old actress in a role that only makes sense if the character is very, very young.
LeCarre’s work is controlled by his sons, and they are doing a damn fine job with recent adaptations.
I was talking about Karla’s Choice which I didn’t care for much.
Silverview, which was published after LeCarre’s death, is problematic too but for different reasons. The book’s ending was abrupt and the narrative lacking like the author still wanted to flesh it out some. Which is why it was probably not published when LeCarre was still alive.
Frederick Forsythe, with a co-writer, is coming out with a sequel to The Odessa File. I love Forsythe but I rank it about half way down the a list ranking his works.
Daryl
So I’m guessing Patel didn’t release the Epstein documents on Day One, as promised?
I bet you’ll never see them because Trumps name is all over them.
Or perhaps Mussayev is simply a vain has-been looking for attention.
Bingo.
Trump publicly called for election interference. His 2016 campaign met Russian operatives in Trump Tower to discuss exchanging sanctions relief for election support. His campaign chair Manafort admitted giving data to Russians. Trump praised Putin’s Ukraine invasion. He said he wouldn’t care if Putin attacked Europe. Now, he has betrayed Ukraine and sold out to Putin completely.
One need not believe 39 Steps Manchurian Candidate 007 spy conspiracy stuff recognize Trump as a Russian asset and appalling Putin propagandist.
I’m agnostic on this specific allegation. Willing asset, compromised, unwitting dupe, or plain authoritarian birds flocking in formation are all roughly equivalent at this point from a practical perspective.
It seems likely that conclusive evidence would be explained away as fake, and/or challenged with competing actually forged ‘evidence’, and/or a dose of whataboutism. Plenty of others will wave it away as “all politicians are corrupt” or otherwise look the other way.
The thing is, all of those things can be packaged simultaneously. Consistency is not all that necessary.
I learned of these two separate, but related stories today:
‘Team Jorge’ unit exposed by undercover investigation
Group sells hacking services and access to vast army of fake social media profiles
Evidence unit behind disinformation campaigns across world
Mastermind Tal Hanan claims covert involvement in 33 presidential elections
Kerry was not alone. The Middle East Quartet, a group formed to mediate the Palestine-Israel peace process that included representatives from the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, and Russia, was also seeking a solution to the issues surrounding the occupation—and it was about to release a report that was expected to be highly critical of Israel. With so much on the line, Netanyahu appears to have made a drastic decision. He would dispatch a discreet, highly trusted aide, armed with critical intelligence, to covertly “intervene” in the US election to help put his man Trump in the White House. Based on the FBI documents, the intelligence appears to have consisted of advance knowledge of Russia’s hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and it may have included confidential details from the stolen e-mails. It was likely obtained by Israeli eavesdropping operations that were targeting secret Russian communications, as well as those of WikiLeaks.
There appears to be a lot more I’ve yet to look at.
There’s an acronym for it–Money, Ideology, Compromised, Ego. Two fit right off the bat: money and ego. Compromised–who knows?
ETA: I think people tend to overthink what recruitment of an asset means.
A few weeks ago, I watched some interviews of John Kiriakou. He told a story about successfully recruiting an al Qaeda asset after chatting with the man everytime they ran into each other in a cafe.
Later on, he asked the man why he agreed. The man explained that during the whole time he had been in the country, Kiriakou was the only person who had asked about his family.
ETA: IIRC, Kiriakou was illustrating the importance of taking a personal interest in contacts.
Kathy
I’m looking at yet another working weekend* after a long day, after a long week, and my main concern right now is whether pairing a beef and pasta entree with a potato side dish is redundant.
I love my mind.
*Perhaps just one day rather than two…
JohnSF
Well. It seems the US administration is now purging the military.
And also busy insulting the President of France, and the British Prime Minister.
Starmer is a rather phlegmatic sort, and unlikely to be bothered that much.
Macron, however, is President of France.
There is a difference, both in formal status, and in personality.
Macron is rather unlikely to respond in a cuddly fashion to this.
As to the UK: we shall take note, and plan accordingly.
@Connor:
I’m right, Drew, and you know it. You support a traitor, both because you’re a fucking moron, and because you’re a POS.
Jax
@Michael Reynolds: It blows me away how he just keeps showing up, thinking we won’t notice him. We’re English nerds, Drew, we NOTICE. Just go by your own fucking name. Own it.
JohnSF
Well, being a sorta conservative Labour type, I’ve always been cautious about the left Democrats.
But as of now, I am a total AOC fan.
(Forgive the Fox news link, lol)
JohnSF
@Kurtz: Interesting side note: Lord Musk and Vance are also going off on the horrid wickedness of the Romanian elections and “woke libruls” messing with the (quite insane) right wing candidate.
The amusing thing is, they don’t realise how much the mainstream Romanian conservatives loathe Georgescu.
(And also that he is quite obviously an utter nutcase, who was just wrecking the Romanian conservatives votes)
As with their wooing of the AfD in Germany, and for that matter their Putin symping, they can’t understand that the people they think are their allies HATE them.
Or that their support turns some votes against their favourites, on the basis of nationalism.
It’s quite funny, how American “nationalists”, who are often racial/religious based, fail to grasp that European nationalists are, actually, NATIONALISTS.
A friend was trying to figure out why the left wasn’t pouncing on this story. Any ideas?
Again with the trolling under the guise of vague questions. There are several stories going on up line in this thread.
And since you’re rather fond of responding to questions with questions, here are some for you in the same vein:
Why do you think the Right hasn’t pounced on the avalanche of revelations including hard evidence about:
– Trump’s sexual predation
– Trump associates’ sexual predation (including child molestation).
– Trump’s financial predation,
– Trump and associates financial double-dealing at the expense of this nation’s resources and security.
– Trump and associates complete transgression of established national security priorities and selling our nation out to known adversary, Putin’s murderous regime.
– Trump’s ridiculously massive mountain of lies.
– Trump’s manifestly deteriorating mental state as widely expressed through aberrant behavior and speech and captured deeply in the video record.
– The pathological nature of Trump’s fixation on harming people and especially targeting those least capable of defending themselves.
– Trump “megalomaniacal” proclamations of absurdly exaggerated competencies in the face of falling short on delivering his promises.
I ask you, why the Right doesn’t “pounce” on these factually evidenced Trump and associates “fails” and many more?
But rather, the Right chooses to spend time fixated on nonsense like Cosmic Ping Pong Pizza pedophilia, “war” on Christmas, forced sex-change surgery in public schools, etc., etc., and the biggest lie/gambit of them all: Stop-the-Steal.
We all know the answer why the Right roots around in its own vomit and avoids discussion of its own obscene behavior: because these topics are an indictment of the Right’s own lawlessness, immorality, and complete worthlessness to this society. For the only thing they offer is self-consumed petty bigotry and contrived outrage.
And you align with that. The weight of all that hangs on you, man.
It’s quite funny, how American “nationalists”, who are often racial/religious based, fail to grasp that European nationalists are, actually, NATIONALISTS.
Add to that contradiction:
How these American pro-western culture nationalists who wish to claim preeminence based on European lineage are now on board with blowing up their country’s long term strategic and beneficial relationship with —- Europe!
We can attempt to rationalize that these people are just being “selective” about which European ideologies they want to affirm (including fascists), but really, they are just full of crap.
I appreciate the support. It would appear that this Drew guy lives rent free in your head.
I gather that Trump is not a fave of yours, but the wild eyed speculation and invective could use some tempering.
I keep reading that the world is going to end because of Trump (has already ended?). I’d suggest that it will take at least 6 months after inauguration to assess things. But I understand the desire to vent. Knock yourself out.
Gavin
reid,
I can confirm the Trusted Traveler portal is working — I changed some information [addresses, etc] and paid to re-up my Global Entry when you made your first post in this thread, and just got my approval until 2030 a few minutes ago. So clearly someone’s reading and taking super-quick action on at least a few things if you fight through some of the issues with the website.
Comments
115 responses to “Friday’s Forum”
LGM reviewed an article looking at sepsis rates i the 2nd trimester in Texas since they passed their harsh anti-abortion laws. It has increased, almost doubling. Since most people wont read the entire article, here is the key piece from the original.
“We found 120 women who died while hospitalized during pregnancy or up to six weeks postpartum in 2022 and 2023 in the inpatient billing data. The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee will not review deaths from these years, stating that they will skip to 2024 in an effort to get a more “contemporary” view of deaths, a choice that faced widespread criticism. (The committee chair said there was “absolutely no nefarious intent” behind the decision.)”
It’s especially notable IMO that after passing the law Texas suspended collecting data on Maternal mortality and morbidity. They clearly strongly expected there to be an increase so they decided not to look. Not nefarious, just misogynistic.
Steve
In other health care news, Texas is looking at further relaxation of vaccine requirements. Key quotes…
“This follows a general trend of rebellion against vaccines in Texas. Between 2014-2023, the rate of children without the recommended vaccinations has increased from 7% to 18%. The results has been very predictable:
In the oil towns of west Texas a measles outbreak is spreading. At least 58 people have been infected and 13 are in hospital, the biggest surge in Texas in 30 years. Health officials reckon hundreds more cases have yet to be detected.
How many people are infected now? It’s hard to tell as the CDC website on this measles outbreak has not been updated for 2 weeks.”
I knew the drop in vaccination rates in red states was bad but I didnt know it was that bad. Again, note that the CDC is not being allowed to report on this. I think we need to accept that RFK as Sec of Health was not just an election payback but an acknowledgment that Trump’s core supporters believe the same things that RFK believes.
https://www.healthcare-economist.com/2025/02/20/vaccine-choice-more-measles-infection/
Steve
@steve: this is like what put the kibosh on the USSR. All the “measured statistics” were made up, so nothing could be decided on actual measured data. Final result? Collapse of economy.
Guess we’re going to have to learn the hard way again is that closing your eyes and pretending a problem doesn’t exist doesn’t get rid of the problem—it just increases the death rate.
@steve: Wonder if polio could re-emerge?
@steve:
Luddite’s first thought was “the banality of evil.”
@Rob1:
It is.
@Rob1: Yes, it could. There were several active polio outbreaks globally in 2024. If people don’t vaccinate for it, there’s enough global business and global travel that it could end up here.
It is absolutely astonishing that people would put their children at risk like this.
@Rob1:
Yes.
It’s not as widespread as it used to be, but plenty of cases still happen, mostly in low income countries where vaccination rates are low. Consider that for herd immunity, a low vaccination rate can be 95-97% depending on the pathogen and ease of transmission. Ideally everyone should be vaccinated, except those who can’t take a vaccine due to allergies, immunodeficiency, or some other valid medical reason.
Elon Musk was at CPAC with sunglasses on and barely able to speak. Further down the thread, there’s video from the inauguration, where Musk seems…out of it. Yikes.
In MAGA-land romance is out, “rapey” leadership and celebrities are in.
Not my preferred genre, but not my preferred censorship either (disinformation, gratuitous violence, and activist misanthropy would top my list).
On a lighter note —
@Jen:
Elon was prancing around the stage at CPAC waving a chainsaw, too.
@Rob1: Hmm, these days I think most romance novels are published as e-books only. This raises some interesting legal questions.
Not to mention that I wonder if the men of the Oklahoma legislature feel threatened by the depiction of men in the romance novels their partners are reading. Because I feel sure that there are a fair few women in Oklahoma reading romance novels.
@Rob1:
@Jay L Gischer:
By any chance is there a fad or trend in romance works with interracial or same-sex relationships?
@CSK: This is all so bonkers. Higher than a kite.
@Jay L Gischer: You mean the romance novels are highlighting men’s (ahem) shortcomings?
@Jay L Gischer:
There are plenty that still get printed. I can easily see challenges raised for popular books like the Iron Flame series, or Outlander. Casey McQuiston’s books too.
@CSK: Someone said it seemed like he was in a ketamine-induced euphoric high. Maybe he’ll accidentally turn on the chainsaw and trip over it…
@Kathy: I think you guys are kind of missing the point. The bill isn’t aimed at romance novels — this message is from an organization of romance writers or readers saying the bill would threaten their genre. But this bill itself seems to cover everything. So basically anyone could sue any writer or publisher for ANYTHING.
Natalie has very bad taste in men:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/secret-service-freaked-out-by-trumps-adoring-female-aide/
She lived in a women’s locker room all one summer to be close to Trump.
@CSK:
I wouldn’t judge someone based solely on their commitment to scatophilia.
@wr:
Could we sue the felon multiple times for all the obscene passages in his branded Bible?
I know, if it’s religion anything goes.
What are you all going to spend your Musk tax savings rebate checks on? In 2001 I bought some high end sports equipment with the $600 that I got in the Bush stimulus, but the additional age I have now make sports equipment impractical. I’m expecting $5000. Maybe some botox injections?
@Rob1:
Wait until the statute is used for LGBT+ romance novels. I have no doubt that someone will argue that any romance which is not entirely heterosexual is obscene by definition.
@Moosebreath:
There are a lot of them:
http://www.lgbtqreads.com/romance/by-tropearchetype/
Well, I feel a little better: Trump’s approval is dropping, and it appears that “he’s going to far”, and “he hasn’t done enough about high prices” are primary reasons.
Also,
@Scott: I am far from an expert on romance novels. The shortcomings highlighted are more likely to be emotional that physical. Although there probably not a lot of hetero romance novels where the woman is taller than the man. Probably not zero, though. Remember Rule 34.
Anybody know what’s up with Memeorandum? 2nd day I haven’t been able to get it to load.
@Jax:
Works fine for me. I think Sleeping Dog had the same problem the other day.
@Moosebreath:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/arresting-dress-timeline-anti-cross-dressing-laws-u-s
Wouldn’t be the first time. A particularly odious line of attack from Republicans is that trans people are inherently obscene. I’ve been waiting for Insta to ban me as being obscene even though nothing I post is actually obscene.
@CSK: Strange. It will load on Chrome, but not Opera.
Trump’s Poll Numbers Are Eroding And Could Collapse Over Inflation (NY Mag)
He ran on extravagant, dumb promises to fix complex problems “on day one.” Instead, he’s launched trade wars, threatening to occupy Gaza, and sold out to Putin. And deputized the world’s richest man, worst ketamine addict, and biggest welfare queen to fire veterans, park rangers, air traffic controllers, nuclear bomb staffers, and health experts.
Reckless incompetence and mass layoffs can’t wear well over time.
@Jax:
That is odd. I’m using Chrome.
“Elon gated” – mothers of his children can’t contact him.
Pro-population growth guy won’t take care of his own population.
Sheesh. The guy is trying to s̶a̶v̶e̶ screw up the world for crying out loud. Cut him some slack.
I’m trying to login to the government’s Trusted Traveler Program page to get some documents, and it seems to be completely broken. More proof that government doesn’t work! /snark
Is this just fallout from the idiocy of firing everyone? Is it 1.5d chess intended to convince the public that government is inefficient? Will people finally see the light about Trump, Musk, and GOP?
@Jax: Still accessible for me.
@Moosebreath: “I have no doubt that someone will argue that any romance which is not entirely heterosexual is obscene by definition.”
You’re thinking way too small. These are people who insist that Beloved is obscene. And Catcher in the Rye. And sometimes Romeo and Juliet.
Yes, it’s terrible that they’ll be going after any book that could in anyway be read as gay. But they will be going after everything. Remember, it just takes one person to launch one of these suits.
So I strongly hope the people fighting this bill aren’t shouting about how bad it will be if “gay” books are suppressed. There’s still going to be people in Oklahoma who can live with that. Start telling them it’s every book, period, as long as there’s one person who wants to complain about it.
@Jax:
@CSK:
Yesterday and starting the previous evening. Strange thing was I could reach Techmeme and Mediagazer that are sister sites. This morning I’ve been able to reach Memeorandum.
Failed on my Mac in both Chrome and Safari and on my Android phone, on Chrome and DuckDuckGo. But now all seems normal.
@Rob1:
I will repeat, Musk is a self medicating rich guy who is suffering from a major mental illness. Watch the videos of his appearance at CPAC and try and follow his train of thought. The felon seems lucid by comparison.
@Jax:
@CSK:
@Rob1:
@Sleeping Dog:
The web is vague and mysterious.
@Sleeping Dog: Now it won’t load on Chrome, either. Guess I should restart my computer…..but then I’ll lose all my currently open shopping tabs!!! 😉
When the far right French National Rally is the reasonable choice.
TL;DR, “French far-right leader Jordan Bardella on Friday morning cancelled a scheduled speech at the US Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, after … Steve Bannon flashed an apparent fascist-style salute (ed. it was totally a nazi salute) there hours before.”
@Jax:
Won’t “restore” bring them back?
@CSK: It’ll probably save me money if I don’t. 🙂
@wr: Yeah, someone might object to, for instance, The Bridges of Madison County.
Trump will be personally inspecting Fort Knox “to make sure the gold is still there.” His words.
@Rob1: A friend was trying to figure out why the left wasn’t pouncing on this story. Any ideas?
For more than a decade now, I’ve insisted this was obvious:
Proof positive? No. Another piece of evidence? Yes. Is there some secret FSB disinfo behind this? Is it somehow in Putin’s interest to have this come out? Maybe, it might be a crude reminder to Trump, a threat. But for it to be a viable threat it would have to be true.
@Michael Reynolds:
I’m wondering how they “recruited” Trump initially. Kompromat? Must be.
Kevin Drum posted yesterday on his health. He says the flu and pneumonia are still bad, but he’s been posting since. I’m hoping the posting is a sign of recovery.
@Michael Reynolds:
@CSK:
I can’t think of a single reason to recruit the felon that long ago. Around 2015, sure. In the 80s, no. unless the Soviets had something against the USFL (and I don’t think the timing works for that)
@Kathy: They’d recruit him back then, absolutely. He was wealthy and a major political donor. His wife was from a Soviet bloc country. They play the long game.
@Jen:
Yes, but what pressure or leverage would they have used on him?
@Michael Reynolds: A Yahoo link to that story has been 403-ed.
@CSK:
I can think of many.
I can’t think of one that would still worry him. He’s been found to be a fraud, a rapist, and a felon by three separate courts, he was impeached twice, and his base of deplorables isn’t bothered even a little. If it’s money, he’d made a lot by fleecing said deplorables (and I’d be very surprised if he hasn’t been skimming off his campaign funds, or the federal budget).
I don’t know. Maybe Mad Vlad has a photo of him showing compassion to a poor person of color. You know, something truly beyond the pale.
Irish Star: Donald Trump ‘recruited by KGB in 80s and even has codename’, claims former Soviet spy
Times Now (India): Donald Trump Was Recruited By KGB Under Codename ‘Krasnov’: Spy Chief
Kursiv Media (Kazakhstan) Inside Soviet recruitment: Kazakhstan’s former security chief claims Trump was a KGB asset
Here are three links on this story from various sources that were working when I posted them. I found these when I Googled “Alnur Mussayev”. There are more but I think that three links is the limit for the comments on OTB.
@Rob1:
It’s here…for now:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/donald-trump-recruited-kgb-codename-34726995
So I voted (advance) in the Ontario election today. The unnecessary one called by a right wing premier who recently said he 100% supports Trump, but is campaigning on opposing him.
Anyway, typical right wing shenanigans seem to be going on. My wife and I both had our registrations lost. The pill worker who registered us again said this has been happening all day. Whole streets have disappeared. Same day registration is allowed but will be causing long lines. Of course there was one small sign indicating the polling place and it was buried in snow. Which was also booked for a kids sports tournament so there was no parking.
I have never seen this before in Ontario. PC candidates are not showing up at candidates debates or events. There is an eerie feel to this election
@CSK: Flattery is all they would need. You don’t need pressure if you have a willing asset. There are plenty of willing assets out there ready to turn over information for the dumbest reasons. There’s an acronym for it–Money, Ideology, Compromised, Ego. Two fit right off the bat: money and ego. Compromised–who knows?
ETA: I think people tend to overthink what recruitment of an asset means. They could have wanted his help in securing real estate to cover for the Russian mob, to move money. This was right before the collapse of the Berlin wall. “Comrade Trump, we wish for you to build your hotel here in Moscow. All we need is some help with property purchases in New York.”
And boom, he’s broken a law, *that* becomes the leverage, and he’s in their pockets.
@Michael Reynolds:
While it is clear that Trump is doing Putin’s bidding, I would be extremely wary of these particular claims.
How on earth would Mussayev know? Are high-level FSB agents actually sharing information with the kind of guy who would put stuff on Facebook?
And if high-level FSB agents are sharing this information, chances are it’s at least partially untrue.
@Jen:
Well, I suppose we can now refer to him as King Krasnov.
@steve:
It’ll take epidemics to fix this. John SF had a good quote the other day:
History repeats. First as a tragedy, then as a farce.
@DK: Slugger mentioned Musk’s supposed “tax savings rebate.” I heard a woman mention that just today, that Trump is supposed to give 20% of all the savings back as stimulus to the American people. I suppose this is how they’ll hold off people’s disapproval for his handling of the economy for a while — the (empty) promise of some rebate checks.
@drj:
I am not going to lay down a marker as to whether I feel the info about Trump is true or disinformation, however, highly sensitive information has been released on social media platforms before, just think back to the (Air Force?) guy in the military who released Top Secret files on the Twitch platform.
I have entered Alnur Mussayev in the search fields at Reuters and AP News.
No results for this story.
Post submitted Fri. Feb. 21, 2025 3:29pm cst
@CSK:
Somebody named Oddjob was last seen putting it in the trunk of a car with a license plate AU1 on it.
@Bill Jempty: @drj:
Me too. I think the originator of this news report has been watching a movie from the 1970’s too much.
When you get to the next rest area, please pull over. I want to get out.
@Kathy:
The KGB wanted to destroy American professional football after what we did to their hockey team at the 1980 Olympics.
@drj:
Yes and no. I wouldn’t put too much emotional stock in it being accurate. On the other hand, having this sort of thing circulating will keep Trump’s inner circle on edge. I’m all about them losing sleep.
First Lady Trump will bring President Musk to Fort Knox and the two of them will be casing the joint.
Post submitted Fri. Feb. 21, 2025 3:40pm cst.
@Bill Jempty:
I accept your statement without question.
But what does that have to do with the USFL?
Also, Trump was rude AF to Governor Mills of Maine today, and literally threatened to withhold all federal funds from her state if she doesn’t sign on to his anti-trans nonsense. She said, and I quote, “see you in court.”
@Kathy:
Donald Trump was supposedly the driving force behind the USFL’s anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL. That was the KGB plot.
Honestly, my dung beetle book makes about as much sense.
@Jen:
I say again, Canada might like an 11th province.
But seriously, if things don’t go well for the felon and his project 2025 moves are not popular, he may launch a full assault on transgender people. Say withholding all federal funding if a state dares treat a trans person as human.
@CSK:
“Recruited” can mean making the effort. They would assign a code name right off the bat. Unless direct evidence emerges that the recruiting was successful this is probably going to be a nothing-burger.
@Michael Reynolds:
@CSK:
@Kathy:
@Jen:
All things considered, I continue to doubt Trump was ever “recruited” per se.
He would be in the category of “unwitting agent of influence”.
Holding views of congruent usefulness, and susceptible to persuasion by flattery and “connection”.
Greedy, arrogant, stupid, fascinated by power and with a basic ideology of a mish-mash of half-understood paleocon concepts.
The KGB back then would size up almost any foreigner visiting Russia who they considered of any potential interest, and if judged possibly useful or subornable, open a file.
He probably fits into a personal category of mine: the “nit-witting agent.”
He should be compromisable, but is just too thick to realise it, lol.
Being utterly shameless is Trump’s super-power.
And he’s got enough experience of crookery various to conceal any laundromat activity behind plausible deniability re real-estate dealings.
Now, Paul Manafort, that’s another matter entirely.
@Jen:
My worry is that if this particular claim gets disproved, it will give cover to those wanting to deny that Trump is Putin’s pocket.
I don’t even think it’s unlikely that Trump is a Russian asset, but even so, I would be wary of embracing this particular claim. Why is Mussayev telling us this? Why now?
Maybe the Kazakhs are worried about Russia, too. But it could just as easily be part of a deliberate Russian disinformation campaign.
Or perhaps Mussayev is simply a vain has-been looking for attention.
On the subject of spies, Amazon has bought up the James Bond franchise
I suspect we can now look forward to Ian Fleming joining J.R.R. and C.J.R. Tolkien, (and Robert Jordan, for that matter) metaphorically looking down and screaming “what do those idiots think they are DOING?”
@drj:
What good does it do Putin to have this info–no matter how questionable–released? Trump is useful to Putin exactly where he is. Why jeopardize that?
@CSK:
Get enough people to bite, then discredit Mussayev. Next, everyone claiming that Trump is a Russian asset can be dismissed as a crank.
Sort of the same thing that happened to Al Gore. Want to deny global warming? Create a narrative in which believers in global warming are following a vainglorious fool who claimed to have invented the Internet.
This is not exactly a new strategy.
@dazedandconfused:
Good ol’ Marx; pants as a political philosopher, but a very astute commentator on contemporary events.
@Kathy:
Or maybe they wanted someone for real estate shenanigans?
https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/why-did-russian-oligarch-pay-so-much-for-mansion-owned-by-trump/2316032/
@DK:
Clearly, Fortune needs to bring his “everything is proceeding as it should, be patient, give Trump a chance” argument to a larger audience than ours.
@Monala:
“… Musk’s supposed “tax savings rebate.” I heard a woman mention that just today, that Trump is supposed to give 20% of all the savings back as stimulus to the American people.”
If each taxpayer gets such a rebate, I think I’ll put it all into crypto—easy come, easy go.
On the other hand, if it’s determined that the Government Efficiency Department’s actions have resulted in increased costs due to separated employee compensation, employee rehiring, the need for expensive contract employees, restructuring of existing government contracts, and the myriad administrative and legal costs associated with straightening out the mess that’s been made, then maybe each taxpayer will receive an equal-sized bill…a regressive tax of musk’s dreams.
@Jax: The shopping tabs will take you back to where you were; just make a list of which ones were open. 😉
@JohnSF:
That’s pretty much my thinking too. The Rooskies take a hard look at anyone who has or may have “connections” as SOP. They start “a file” on everyone. But there are certain types of people who their (and our) spooks judge as unsuitable for a clandestine relationship. Impulsive self-absorbed blabbermouths…and fools easily manipulated by praise and/or BS, aka “useful idiots”.
@drj: Cue up the comparisons to the “Steele File.”
@JohnSF:
Throw in Tom Clancy and John LeCarre while you’re at it too.
James Bond stopped having much resemblance to Ian Fleming’s creation a long time ago and I’m not just talking the movies. There have been like 25 James Bond novels since Fleming’s death.
@Michael Reynolds:
The most compelling evidence against this is just how effectively Trump has worked on Putin’s behalf over the past decade or two. It would be, by far, the most competent he has ever proven to be at anything…
@Bill Jempty:
The really interesting idea would be to go back to Fleming’s novels and do them straight, and set in the 1955-65 context.
A bit like the original BBC version of Le Carre’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” and “Smiley’s People”.
But i doubt they’d ever consider the option of looking to the actual books.
(Albeit, there’s some parts they’d just have to slide past a bit, to avoid utter shock horror)
Fleming was, let us say, “a man of his time”.
@JohnSF:
Around 15 years ago Dick Van Dyke claimed he was approached to play James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Connery had quit the role after You Only Live Twice.
I can just imagine how they would have cast the rest of the movie
Marlo Thomas as Tracy
John Banner as Blofeld
Danny Thomas as Marc Ange Draco. Only appropriate because Draco is Tracy’s father
Alice Ghostley as Irma Bunt
Edward Platt as M
John Fiedler as Q
@dazedandconfused:
I knew some people, mostly academics, who visited the USSR in the early 80’s and who had a little game of “who’s your KGB guy?”
Anyone who didn’t realise that was going on was a chump.
Why, hello, Mr Trump.
@Bill Jempty:
Lol.
I now have mental picture of Dick Van Dyke doing Bond with his rather hilarious English accent.
Incidentally, did you know Fleming was the author of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”?
@JohnSF:
Yes and Harry Saltzman produced the film. He along with Albert Broccoli were c0-producers of the Bond films up to The Man with the Golden Gun.
I’m glad someone got my casting joke. You have to be up on 1960’s television just like I am.
Banner as Blofeld, pursuing Bond on skis. ‘We’ll head him off at the
precipicepasta buffet.”@Michael Reynolds:
LOL. I hear he peed on some hookers in a Moscow hotel. Proof positive? No. But another piece of evidence. Spread it.
Now I’ve got to get back to watching the Zapruder film. I think the driver killed him.
@Connor:
Robert Booth Nichols? I thought you died.
@Connor:
There is no way to bribe or twist,
the dishonest American capitalist.
But seeing what he’ll do, unbribed
there’s no occasion to.
@Bill Jempty: Loved that movie!
@Bill Jempty: “Throw in Tom Clancy and John LeCarre while you’re at it too.”
LeCarre’s work is controlled by his sons, and they are doing a damn fine job with recent adaptations. I’d say The Night Agent is among the best LeCarre dramatizations, and The Little Drummer Girl was far superior to the movie version, if only because they didn’t cast a 40 year-old actress in a role that only makes sense if the character is very, very young.
@wr:
I was talking about Karla’s Choice which I didn’t care for much.
Silverview, which was published after LeCarre’s death, is problematic too but for different reasons. The book’s ending was abrupt and the narrative lacking like the author still wanted to flesh it out some. Which is why it was probably not published when LeCarre was still alive.
Frederick Forsythe, with a co-writer, is coming out with a sequel to The Odessa File. I love Forsythe but I rank it about half way down the a list ranking his works.
So I’m guessing Patel didn’t release the Epstein documents on Day One, as promised?
I bet you’ll never see them because Trumps name is all over them.
@drj:
Bingo.
Trump publicly called for election interference. His 2016 campaign met Russian operatives in Trump Tower to discuss exchanging sanctions relief for election support. His campaign chair Manafort admitted giving data to Russians. Trump praised Putin’s Ukraine invasion. He said he wouldn’t care if Putin attacked Europe. Now, he has betrayed Ukraine and sold out to Putin completely.
One need not believe 39 Steps Manchurian Candidate 007 spy conspiracy stuff recognize Trump as a Russian asset and appalling Putin propagandist.
@DK:
I’m agnostic on this specific allegation. Willing asset, compromised, unwitting dupe, or plain authoritarian birds flocking in formation are all roughly equivalent at this point from a practical perspective.
It seems likely that conclusive evidence would be explained away as fake, and/or challenged with competing actually forged ‘evidence’, and/or a dose of whataboutism. Plenty of others will wave it away as “all politicians are corrupt” or otherwise look the other way.
The thing is, all of those things can be packaged simultaneously. Consistency is not all that necessary.
I learned of these two separate, but related stories today:
Revealed: the hacking and disinformation team meddling in elections — part of an investigation by a consortium of journalists called Forbidden Stories; included journalists from The Guardian, Haaretz, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and others
Within the piece, there was a link to:
The Trump Campaign’s Collusion With Israel –Bamford of Puzzle Palace fame
There appears to be a lot more I’ve yet to look at.
Just wanted to share.
@Jen:
A few weeks ago, I watched some interviews of John Kiriakou. He told a story about successfully recruiting an al Qaeda asset after chatting with the man everytime they ran into each other in a cafe.
Later on, he asked the man why he agreed. The man explained that during the whole time he had been in the country, Kiriakou was the only person who had asked about his family.
ETA: IIRC, Kiriakou was illustrating the importance of taking a personal interest in contacts.
I’m looking at yet another working weekend* after a long day, after a long week, and my main concern right now is whether pairing a beef and pasta entree with a potato side dish is redundant.
I love my mind.
*Perhaps just one day rather than two…
Well. It seems the US administration is now purging the military.
And also busy insulting the President of France, and the British Prime Minister.
Starmer is a rather phlegmatic sort, and unlikely to be bothered that much.
Macron, however, is President of France.
There is a difference, both in formal status, and in personality.
Macron is rather unlikely to respond in a cuddly fashion to this.
As to the UK: we shall take note, and plan accordingly.
@JohnSF:
Kind of reminds me of this Simpsons ep.
@Connor:
I’m right, Drew, and you know it. You support a traitor, both because you’re a fucking moron, and because you’re a POS.
@Michael Reynolds: It blows me away how he just keeps showing up, thinking we won’t notice him. We’re English nerds, Drew, we NOTICE. Just go by your own fucking name. Own it.
Well, being a sorta conservative Labour type, I’ve always been cautious about the left Democrats.
But as of now, I am a total AOC fan.
(Forgive the Fox news link, lol)
@Kurtz:
Interesting side note: Lord Musk and Vance are also going off on the horrid wickedness of the Romanian elections and “woke libruls” messing with the (quite insane) right wing candidate.
The amusing thing is, they don’t realise how much the mainstream Romanian conservatives loathe Georgescu.
(And also that he is quite obviously an utter nutcase, who was just wrecking the Romanian conservatives votes)
As with their wooing of the AfD in Germany, and for that matter their Putin symping, they can’t understand that the people they think are their allies HATE them.
Or that their support turns some votes against their favourites, on the basis of nationalism.
It’s quite funny, how American “nationalists”, who are often racial/religious based, fail to grasp that European nationalists are, actually, NATIONALISTS.
@Fortune:
Again with the trolling under the guise of vague questions. There are several stories going on up line in this thread.
And since you’re rather fond of responding to questions with questions, here are some for you in the same vein:
Why do you think the Right hasn’t pounced on the avalanche of revelations including hard evidence about:
– Trump’s sexual predation
– Trump associates’ sexual predation (including child molestation).
– Trump’s financial predation,
– Trump and associates financial double-dealing at the expense of this nation’s resources and security.
– Trump and associates complete transgression of established national security priorities and selling our nation out to known adversary, Putin’s murderous regime.
– Trump’s ridiculously massive mountain of lies.
– Trump’s manifestly deteriorating mental state as widely expressed through aberrant behavior and speech and captured deeply in the video record.
– The pathological nature of Trump’s fixation on harming people and especially targeting those least capable of defending themselves.
– Trump “megalomaniacal” proclamations of absurdly exaggerated competencies in the face of falling short on delivering his promises.
I ask you, why the Right doesn’t “pounce” on these factually evidenced Trump and associates “fails” and many more?
But rather, the Right chooses to spend time fixated on nonsense like Cosmic Ping Pong Pizza pedophilia, “war” on Christmas, forced sex-change surgery in public schools, etc., etc., and the biggest lie/gambit of them all: Stop-the-Steal.
We all know the answer why the Right roots around in its own vomit and avoids discussion of its own obscene behavior: because these topics are an indictment of the Right’s own lawlessness, immorality, and complete worthlessness to this society. For the only thing they offer is self-consumed petty bigotry and contrived outrage.
And you align with that. The weight of all that hangs on you, man.
@JohnSF:
Add to that contradiction:
How these American pro-western culture nationalists who wish to claim preeminence based on European lineage are now on board with blowing up their country’s long term strategic and beneficial relationship with —- Europe!
We can attempt to rationalize that these people are just being “selective” about which European ideologies they want to affirm (including fascists), but really, they are just full of crap.
@Michael Reynolds:
I appreciate the support. It would appear that this Drew guy lives rent free in your head.
I gather that Trump is not a fave of yours, but the wild eyed speculation and invective could use some tempering.
I keep reading that the world is going to end because of Trump (has already ended?). I’d suggest that it will take at least 6 months after inauguration to assess things. But I understand the desire to vent. Knock yourself out.
reid,
I can confirm the Trusted Traveler portal is working — I changed some information [addresses, etc] and paid to re-up my Global Entry when you made your first post in this thread, and just got my approval until 2030 a few minutes ago. So clearly someone’s reading and taking super-quick action on at least a few things if you fight through some of the issues with the website.