We stand at a tipping point: do we fire up the popcorn maker or start digging a fallout shelter in the garden? (Trump cont)

[boatyardblues]

Old thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3207431-When-a-nation-s-children-marched-and-their-President-ignored-them-Trump-cont

I’m all out of inspiration for the rest of this opening post. Send the St Bernard with the brandy please.

I’m fairly sure he knew what he meant by “breeding concept” too. That was no typo or ‘eats, shoots and leaves’ scenario I’m afraid.

Fair enough. I thought I’d point out the potential for his mangled English to be unmangled, but you are no doubt correct that it is deliberate.

apnews.com/17ec9774415240b0a7b1ec41d923eb3c?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP

Try this:

thinkprogress.org/kris-kobach-held-in-contempt-of-court-for-disobeying-judges-orders-2d1bdecc7c7d/

Document.

Resolution Calling on Resignation of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.

www.scribd.com/document/376735298/Resolution-Calling-on-Resignation-of-EPA-Administrator-Scott-Pruitt

It's okay now. One of Trump's minions has translated his words for us.

edition.cnn.com/2018/04/18/politics/kirstjen-nielsen-trump-breeding-tweet/index.html?CNNPolitics=Tw

www.newsweek.com/ivanka-trump-sell-clothing-line-brands-website-first-time-891123

'Shoppers interested in buying peplum blouses and sheath dresses from Ivanka Trump's clothing line no longer need to comb through the racks at TJ Maxx.'

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/migrant-caravan-honduras-trump_us_5ad68870e4b03c426da93a2c

Some more legal stuff if anyone is interested.

Entertaining brief from PopeHat about the Stormy Daniels "affair". Gives a good background for any non-US people about the implications of "taking the 5th" in a civil case (Stormy Daniels) Vs a criminal case (Cohen, Trumps Lawyer and the FBI raids) and how they link...

"What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive" :-)

www.popehat.com/2018/04/16/lawsplainer-michael-cohens-attempt-to-delay-the-stormy-daniels-litigation/

Thanks What.

Nielsen was clearly unable to spin something so unspinnable, lion, though she did try, bless her.

Is this something I missed? US and Russian troops had a serious skirmish in Syria weeks ago.

More
1st Sergeant (First Shirt) Retweeted Caroline O.
Bowing to pressure, Trump finally mentions the #Spetsnaz attack on our military in Syria weeks ago. Any other country would have countered the attack, at least end diplomatic relations with Russia. #TrumpColluded #TrumpRussia #TreasonousBastard #MARINESagainstTrump

I missed that too TheClaws.

Sorry, a bit of that fell off. I’ve since done a little research though, looking for some more concrete sources, and it would seem that - on the surface at least - Russian deaths have occurred in some numbers as well.

Caroline O.
‏

@RVAwonk
Following Following @RVAwonk
More
Boasting about his "tough" stance on Russia today, Trump said "we had a very severe fight in Syria recently...between our troops & Russian troops. It was very sad. Many people died in that fight."

That "fight"? It was actually an ambush of US troops by Russian mercenaries.

The feed of @RVAwonk is excellent - she has the testimony on this attack, which is interesting reading, but I’d also recommend googling the dates and the keywords ‘Syria’ ‘Russia’ ‘US’ ‘troops’ ‘attack’. (Or something similar). See what you come up with.

Oh this is about the attack in February, isn't it?

A private Russian mercenary force called Wagner PMC, believed to be funded by Putin's chum Yevgeny Prigozhin, attacked US forces in Syria and suffered heavy losses.

Here we are in March, and the Russian journalist who's been investigating has died from a mysterious fall just this week – Maxim Borodin, the bloke I mentioned on Monday.

Those links again:
Russian reporter Borodin dead after mystery fall 16 April 2018
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43781351

Syria war: Who are Russia's shadowy Wagner mercenaries? 23 Feb 2018
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43167697

Prigozhin is also believed to fund the Russian troll factory called the Internet Research Agency (IRA).

Wagner PMC is also believed to be involved in Ukraine.

More about the attack in Syria:
A TOTAL F*UP’: RUSSIAN MERCENARIES IN SYRIA LAMENT U.S. STRIKE THAT KILLED DOZENS 23 Feb 2018
www.newsweek.com/total-f-russian-mercenaries-syria-lament-us-strike-killed-dozens-818073

The Russian guns for hire dying in Syria 20 Feb 2018
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43114312

edition.cnn.com/2018/04/18/politics/mueller-protection-bill-mcconnell-grassley/index.html?sr=twCNNp041818mueller-protection-bill-mcconnell-grassley0709PMStory&CNNPolitics=Tw

Although that RVAWonk thread includes a link to an article by Der Spiegel saying the number of Russian casualties was being inflated (provider of link suggests by far-right Russians disappointed in Putin), and that most of the casualties were Syrian, Iraqi, and Afghan.

All very, very murky shit.

The Truth About the Russian Deaths in Syria
Hundreds of Russian soldiers are alleged to have died in U.S. airstrikes at the beginning of February. Reporting by DER SPIEGEL shows that events were likely very different.
2 Mar 2018
www.spiegel.de/international/world/american-fury-the-truth-about-the-russian-deaths-in-syria-a-1196074.html

For those who like to keep track of these things, Wagner PMC (Private Military Company) is also known as CHVK Wagner and Evro Polis.

Founder and leader (per BBC report): Dmitry Utkin
Funder (per BBC report): Yevgeny Prigozhin

It hard to know what to think at all. Just - fighters have died on both sides, and for what?

Here we are in March April

I am generating my own fake news.

There's a very preceptive comment on RVAWonk's thread, asking who Trump is "sad" for here.

(He said yesterday: "we had a very severe fight in Syria recently...between our troops & Russian troops. It was very sad. Many people died in that fight." )

No Americans were killed. And the man who dropped the MOAB on Afghanistan and in his first weeks in power sent a botched raid to Yemen that killed children, doesn't usually say "sad" about the non-Americans killed by US military action. YEEE-HAWWWW seems more his style.

But dead Russian mercenaries? He's sad.

That’s what set my spidey-sense off, Perking. His “sad” comment made me think things didn’t quite add up the way they should.

I'm sure there were very fine people on both sides, TheClaws...

Perking

The Scottish perspective on T. Spoiler: Not keen. There is some actual full frontal in this Sam Bee 'Full Frontal' clip.