An occasional series on the new nationalists – dingoes and drongos like Trump, Farage, and Bernardi – and other Oz twerps.
VI
A world turned upside down
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump’s eldest son was likely paid at least $50,000 for an appearance late last year before a French think tank whose founder and his wife are allies of the Russian government in efforts to end the war in Syria.
Donald Trump Jr. addressed a dinner on Oct. 11 at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, hosted by the Center of Political and Foreign Affairs. Its president, Fabien Baussart, and his Syrian-born wife, Randa Kassis, have cooperated with Russia in its drive to end the Syrian civil war, according to U.S., European and Arab officials.
In December, Mr. Baussart formally nominated Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mrs. Kassis is a leader of a political faction endorsed by Russia in negotiations to end the war in Syria.
The couple said they don’t represent Russia and are solely focused on ending the Syrian conflict.
The meeting in October represents one in a string of contacts over the past year between members of the president’s inner circle and individuals connected to Moscow and to Russian interests. The Wall Street Journal in November reported Donald Trump Jr.’s appearance at the event.
Perhaps there is an answer. There is worldwide conspiracy to turn the world upside down so that we will believe anything. Is the nomination for the Peace Prize based on the competition between Assad and Putin as to who could bomb the most hospitals?
Recently, the President of the United States came to understand that Medicare is complicated. It’s as if he hadn’t known that. And his people in Congress are feeling heavy heat. It is becoming more obvious each day that the people in the White House don’t know what they are doing.
The appointment of Flynn was obviously a mistake. It looks like that of Sessions was worse. Why choose a seventy-one year old from Alabama who has heavy form on race and is obviously not too bright? He is another person in government in trouble about his dealings with the Russians. What is it that has attracted so many Republicans to get into bed and into trouble with representatives of a state hostile to the United States? Sessions’ problem is that he was at best loose with the truth while on oath. That is not good in a first Law Officer. What is the response of Mr Attorney? ‘I never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign. I have no idea what this allegation is about. It is false.’ Where do they get these clowns from?
Meanwhile Mrs May is steeling herself to inform her wobblers that they are dealing with a Europe which has a vested interest in England not being seen to be well off as a result of the divorce, and the ferals in the Liberal Party are doing all they can to ensure that that fake Shorten waltzes into office as if unopposed. Where do we get these clowns from?
With Compliments 
Geoffrey, the interesting question is why intelligent principled men and women seem unable to cut through. Is there any hope that people who cannot see through Trump (and equally people who were blind to Hilary’s obvious faults) will ever recognise someone who dares to say that issues are complex?
There is after all nothing wrong with Turnbull’s brain. If only we saw that side more and his desperate desire to be PM less.
It seems to be a matter of courage. I just then sent him a letter.
‘For the reasons set out in the attached document, and the following letter to my local member, I am opposed to any weakening of our hate speech laws – at the behest of Rupert Murdoch, or anyone else.
To the extent that there is any support for change in your party, it comes from people who are neither bright nor attractive.
I voted for your party at the last election. If it even wobbles on this vital moral ground, I will certainly vote against it, and I will do all in my power to see that it gets defeated.
I know that sounds like a threat – because it is.
And, frankly, I’m of that group who thinks that it’s time you stood up to these ratbags – you do, after all, have the intellectual fire power to wipe the bloody floor with them.’
Republicans getting into bed with a hostile state – praps they think the two great white male capitalist countries have common enemies between them: China and Japan (costly) on the Pacific front, and continental Europe (except perhaps France) and NATO (costly) on the Atlantic front.
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That is a bit astute for Trump. Bannon and Miller perhaps. God knows.