This is what I really didn't expect from the National Republican Party

[Tom Rinaldo]

Warm overtures to traditional American adversaries, Russia, China, and North Korea. Insults; provocations and disruptive acts towards traditional American allies, Canada, Mexico, Japan, N.A.T.O., the EU, France, Germany, the UK, etc.

Nothing Trump does really surprises me. Nothing the Republican Party does regarding wealth distribution or racial relations inside the U.S. really surprises me. But I never expected them to just roll over and accept the complete inversion of America's foreign policy that they stood fast behind for over 70 years. I admit, I actually over estimated the Republican Party in that regard. Yes, I know Putin demands it of Trump. I just hadn't realized how far Russia had gotten in compromising one of America's two major political parties, the virulently anti-communist one at that.

[CincyDem]

1. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Most folks forget about the second part of that quote. We're in the absolute stage. Exec branch unfettered by legislative branch and heading to a judicial takeover.

All the old rules have been tossed to the wayside as if they were deadweight on the ship of state. New rules - anything that maintains power. Principles be damned and if foreign powers support those staying in power, they're the new allies. The old allies of democracy, they'll be lying on the side of the road.

Sorry for the negative rant but it's been a tough week.

[CrispyQ]

4. That is an excellent summary. Depressing as hell, but spot on.

"Principles be damned and if foreign powers support those staying in power, they're the new allies."

I no longer believe we'll get our country back. Even if the dems gain control of one chamber of Congress the best they can do is staunch the flow. The damage done in 18 months is staggering. Another 2.5 years & we won't recognize this country. People wanted change—well they're going to get it.

[mopinko]

37. it will take more than votes.

if we want our reputation back, people, lots of people, must be sent to prison for the rest of their lives.

w/o nuremburg, germany would never have been allowed back into polite society.
we must have our own nuremburg trials.
too bad we dont hang people any more.

[tomp]

63. we should have had them for bush/cheney, inc....

....but obama would't have it. mistake # 1 for obama.

[RVN VET71]

15. Colbert had it right

Trump has changed alliances from EU and Canada to Russia and North Korea -- and we are now part of the new Axis Powers: instead of Hitler, Tojo, and Mussolini, we have Kim, Putin, and Little Mussolini. Plain as the nose on your face. And millions of us are loving every minute of it, marching over the downtrodden in good American goose step fashion, waving a disgraced flag, and laughing as the ecology of the entire planet suffers unsustainable changes.

[pangaia]

17. In this case he was a corrupt human being from childhood.

So I would say it is the opposite.. HE corrupts power.

[CincyDem]

21. No question relative to Trump as an individual. I was thinking more of the GOP in total.

IMHO, he's the racist misogynist that the GOP has been waiting for since Lee Atwater and Nixon's southern strategy. I fully agree that he's a corrupt human being and that's what's necessary to willingly take on role of "leader" of this movement. Not a shred of decency.

My comment was more on the systemic level of the GOP that once they got power, it corrupted the system and GOP folks from every walk of life have twisted into pretzels trying to find a way to accept trumps corruption because they gain from it too.

[pangaia]

23. I could I POSSIBLY not agree. ? :)))

[Xipe Totec]

45. Absolut corruption

[calimary]

58. Perfect!!!

But the trump ‘n’ comp-ers’ photos need to be in there too. Or maybe they should have a whole bottle to themselves.

[Amaryllis]

56. And once power corrupts, values and ethics and humanity are sacrificed. It becomes very

much the end justifies the means.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

60. "Absolutely" due to over 30 years of right-wing brainwashing.

And, I'll add a bit to that quote from Lord Acton...

Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority, still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it.

The heresy in our case is against our beloved Constitution, traditions and statutes.......

[empedocles]

2. 4-2018 ABC/Wapo poll

reported that 68% of Republicans and Independents supported stronger sanctions against Russia. Trump did move the base deplorables on Putin issues. Gaining more support will be harder, should be much harder if Putin/trump money laundering/connections get exposed more.

[Tom Rinaldo]

5. Independents have been breaking strongly with Democrats om most issues

It's "card carrying" Republicans who have jumped the rails. One poll of Republicans had North Korea's "Supreme Leader" viewed considerably more favorably that the Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives.

[The Genealogist]

51. The way they use her to scare deplorable base, no wonder

Doesn't matter where the candidate is running, you can safely bet "San Francisco Librul Nancy Pelosi" will play into it. They use her so commonly in this way that it is obvious she is a pretty powerful force to be reckoned with. When they use "San Francisco," of course, they are invoking specifically the deplorables' homophobia.

[kentuck]

3. They have sold out America.

They have betrayed everything they have stood for in the past.

[Botany]

46. And the GOP leadership was well aware of what Russia was doing too

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/paul-ryan-keeps-it-family-kevin-mccarthy-russia-trump

[Cosmocat]

6. Not me

I told people after the disastrous g7 meeting, you would see a DRAMATIC drop in publc support from Republicans for Canada.

There us no rat hole the party wont eagerly dive into if ge leads them, and the rest of the country with it.

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. There's been a big backlog of anti-NAFTA feelings for a long time

That has to be figured into the mix. But the United Kingdom, France, N.A.T.O.? Coupled with the embrace of former and current communists? I am of course just admitting my naivety in this matter. Your conclusion is absolutely correct.

[True Blue American]

62. Ou are quite right

On the NAFTA backlog. That anger has been there since NAFTA was signed and companies began to move to Mexico. They used this threat on Union members to cut salaries and benefits.

We do need to keep that in mind when we try to cope with what has taken place. Clinton was blamed although it was a Bush plan, Clinton made the mistake of signing it. Ross Pero reminded very one of the sucking sound of jobs leaving. No one listened, that included Democrats.

Trump is using that long held angr but is useless in fixing it. Now,those who voted for Trump are bearing the brunt of his mistakes. Pig farmers are losing millions of dollars,. Ohio will lose 59% Of Their exports.

Canada has now imposed tariffs starting today.

One Canadian said,” He had lost too many friends smuggling scuffed up shoes,” in reply to Trumps dumb statement that ,” Canadians were scuffing up shoes and smuggling them out!” That ignorant statement came from Trump!

[Yonnie3]

7. I thought the New World Order stuff was a conspiracy theory aimed at disparaging progressives

Silly me.

We have work to do.

[BigmanPigman]

9. No body expected them to put party over country 100%

and become tRumpsters. If you play the campaign tapes from the GOP primary debates they all hated him. Who would've thought that ALL OF THEM would turn on their own party's core principles in a few short months?

[pangaia]

18. I suspect they still hate him. But he has them by the balls.

Plus he will deliver what they have always wanted. They don;t guve a shit if they take the country down with them.

[mopinko]

36. when you have them by the balls,

hearts and minds will follow.
still true.

elect women. we dont have balls you can grab.

[pangaia]

38. HA HA HA !!!!!!! Winner of the week !!!!!!!!!!!!

[luvallpeeps]

61. Nice!

[Duppers]

34. Amazing, isn't it?!!

What was the old adage? "Dems fall in love, Republicans fall in line."
Authoritarians to their evil, idiot cores.

[Texin]

10. Well, unlike you, I'm flat out stunned to see how they've rolled over for Putin, China and NK.

These foreign powers, along with Iraq, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries were deemed "the Axis of Evil" little more than a decade ago by the rethug party. Dear god, what must Putin have on these money grubbers?

[RVN VET71]

16. Didn't say say

"I will give you the world if you but bow down before me?" Isn't that Trump's dream, his goal? Putin has some mean shit on The Leader, but I doubt if Putin even has to allude to it as long as he dangles power and wealth in front of Trump's rheumy eyes.

By which I mean to say: Trump is willingly and knowingly selling us out -- "us" being all Americans, except maybe Ivanka. His treason isn't incidental. It's at the root of everything he does, has done, and will do. It is not impossible that it will require military intervention at some point, whether to dislodge the "president for life" or, god help us, to protect him.

[pangaia]

19. Military--- or he will turn them on the liberal populace..

THAT is what I expect.

[elmac]

25. 2/3rds of military voted for fascists

so we know what side most will be on when all hell breaks loose, and it will.

[dalton99a]

11. Their patriotism was always a veneer

[llmart]

47. Just like their Christianity.

[procon]

12. Republicans have become human pretzels, twisting themselves

into bizarre new positions to align with Trump. How do they do all the mental gymnastics to justify all these dramatic policy shifts?

[workinclasszero]

13. NATO is on the chopping block next

Putin conquered and defeated America, NATO, hell liberal western democracy in general without firing a shot!

It never would have happened without the treachery of the GOP, Fox "news" and hate radio.

[Tactical Peek]

14. "to just roll over and accept the complete inversion of America's foreign policy"

This is one of the things that make me wonder and wonder a lot about the Russia-hacked emails etc from the Republican National Committee that appear to have gone down the memory hole. They appear to hold no interest among journalists and their ilk, nor among law enforcement (as far as the public can tell), nor among Congressional investigators and the like.

Does no one wonder about compromising information about Republicans that could have been released by Russia but wasn't? Could it include damaging information about the very Republican politicians who are not investigating it? I sure wonder.

[Tom Rinaldo]

24. Excellent point n/t

[volstork]

29. Oh, I think that is the driving force.

Putin has kompromat on all of the top GOP. That’s why they won’t turn against trump. It’s frankly a brilliant plan, unfortunately, in this scenario, the good guys lose.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

20. Whats the end game one might ask.... all I can come up with is elimination of democracy in favor of

oligarchy / control of wealth / totalitarian rule by despots ... Yeah, some of the hapless less intelligent repubs are just going along for the ride and maybe really believe in buzzwords like "smaller government" and "right to life" but IMHO they are just as much a problem as the radicals.

You know that saying "believe it when people tell you who they are"? Well repubs in the last 10-20 yrs have been insisting that US is a "republic" and not a "democracy." Not even a "democratic republic" for chrissakes! They call it the "democrat" party as a perjorative

Part of the Russian methodology to subjugate their own people has been to discredit/ demonize democracies around the world, so what they're doing really is just following an old tried and true strategy.

A lot of the great civilizations of the past collapsed from within.

[LudwigPastorius]

22. As long as Republicans get their tax cuts, anything Trump does is all good.

I'm actually surprised he hasn't unilaterally pulled us out of NATO.

...well, not yet anyway.

[grantcart]

26. Had the same conversation with a friend yestetday.

Never thought that 'Defense Republicans' would just go along.

Wonder if Wall street Republicans will hang around after he takes us out of the WTO and NYSE drops 20%?

[Tom Rinaldo]

27. Once I would have said NO

Now it is getting hard to rule out or be shocked by any prospect. There is unfortunate precedence for major economic movers and shakers deciding to "get right" with a ruling nationalist regime. Even in hard times some see opportunities to consolidate their position and eventually come out on top. People can be good at convincing themselves that others will be the ultimate losers, not them.

[grantcart]

35. It makes you wonder if more liberals read George Will than conservatives.

[Tom Rinaldo]

65. Now that you mention it I think that is probably the case

Will and his like have become the true R.I.N.Os because the Republican Party he was once central to is no more. It is now becoming a right wing nationalist party. Those forces were strong in the Republican Party prior to WWII. Fighting the Nazi's and Japan - when so many Americans died, strengthened our bonds with western democracies. Now the generation that knew WWII personally is almost gone, their grandchildren do not have those same ties.

And corporations become more multi-national and less American no matter what their roots once were. Corporations want stability. Western democracies once were clearly the best at delivering that. Now more are looking at China as a model for stability in the 21st century. I suspect there is decreasing commitment in the money class for democracy as a stand alone ideal.

[gulliver]

28. Republicans correctly think our traditional allies and partners are on the Dems' side.

At least that's true to a large extent I think. They think it and it's true. We're going globalist politically. The Republicans are also sidling up to Italy now and the Philippines. What a world.

[KPN]

41. THIS!!!! And we, American citizens,

are the enemy along with those traditional allies.

WE are the enemy. Think about and let that sink in!

What are we going to do about it?

[LiberalLovinLug]

42. ding ding ding

You are most likely right there. Yes there are some pockets of democratic states that are on a right wing bump at the moment, but most every western democracy would be more pro Democratic party. There are polls and they've probably seen them.

The shift to the right that has been steadily going on in the last 30 years from both parties, and the media, places modern day Democrats in the same vein as some of the most Conservative parties in the rest of the world. Or even more to the right even. Merkel is a Conservative.

Trump and the GOPs only possible allies left are the most extreme right wing, and communist, authoritarian regimes.

[njhoneybadger]

30. They believe they have only two enemies Muslims and Liberals

And they want to annihilate both.

[smirkymonkey]

31. I honestly never thought it could get this bad.

Especially not in such a short period of time. Boy, was I wrong.

[JHB]

32. An earlier generation of Republicans would have, but conservatives...

...have spent nearly two generations driving them out of the party.

Always remember the Movement Conservatives goal: restoring the Gilded Age, where titans of industry had a fee hand to simply step on little people who got in their way or cont stead their absolute right to squeeze blood from a turnip -- and as far as they're concerned, you are a turnip.

Who has spent the last 20 years sneering and jeering at "European socialism"? Conflating our allies' social policies with Warsaw Pact police states? He very same people.

[Tom Rinaldo]

33. They claim to adore Ronald Reagan

He would go ape shit over how Trump is treating a Conservative British Prime Minister. And that's just for starters.

[GETPLANING]

39. Putin is not a communist

He is much closer to a monarchist (oligarchy), people who eventually backed the fascists leading up to WWI and WWII.

[KPN]

40. You forgot to mention disruptive acts toward

Americans. They have allied with long-standing foreign enemies while, at the same time, treating Americans (us) as enemies of the nation. It’s a false construct designed to enable the one party, one ruler system they are intent on establishing. It started with Reagan’s “government is the problem”, i.e., enemy, blossomed fully with GWs “either with us or against us”, i.e., thoughtful people being “against”, and has come to an explosive head with MAGA-America First, i.e., white/Christian supremacy.

We are the enemy. Think about that.

[C Moon]

43. In other words, whatever Mueller presents won't mean a damn thing...

unless we are able to somehow oust them in November (which I'm not confident of, because nothing has been done to make sure there are no illegal acts on our voting system, again).

[Mc Mike]

44. Almost like their strident anti-communism was all bullshit, just a nazi way to get power.

You really got to hand it to Putin, he saw the US's weak point and zeroed right in on it: repug traitors who would act like 5th communists and sell America out, to get into power.

[YOHABLO]

48. There is nothing ideological about the Republicans except MONEY. Always follow the money.

Donald Trump is beholden to Russian Oligarchs because no bank in all of the world (with the exception of Deutsche Bank) would loan him any money. He's made lots of deals and is up to his neck in shit. Putin has is ass.

[Demovictory9]

49. in freerepublic, some say he's playing "4-D chess". A few will speak up and say "no he's not"

a few understand that he's just thrashing about, pure chaos. They like his racism, sexism and bigotry. but realize that he's a threat to all of us with his behavior and embracing of Russia, tarrifs and crazy stuff.

[smirkymonkey]

64. He's too stupid to play checkers, let alone 4-D chess.

He has no long term strategy, he operates purely on impulse and ego.

[sofa king]

50. If only they knew....

... They would have hunted down and killed their own future selves.

Now that I think of it, they are actually doing that, too.

[Nitram]

52. I agree tom. They have long advocated the use of raw force against all these adversaries,

and criticized Democrats who were willing to discuss issues with them. Now there will do anything to get a conservative Supreme Court.

[BadGimp]

53. PUTIN WINS AGAIN

[Perseus]

54. This is my theory on the GOP

The man-child is a mafioso, the mafia incriminates people they need to facilitate doing their dirty jobs, they don't become part of the family, but they become tools because the incrimination is going to get them in jail, now they are trapped.

The man-child's modus operandi has always been that way, he gets their loyalty by incrimination, their loyalty is not based on admiration, but on fear, and that is what is happening to the GOP. Some of them may not know who from their party have been incriminated, I would think the yeller from Ohio is one of them, he sure acts nervous while trying to act tough, he sounds desperate.

That is why the GOP has lay down, face down, with pants off and is allowing the man-child to screw them at his will.

[The Wizard]

55. The base / Klan

Doesnt't care about anything but "keeping the coloreds in their place. "

[CentralMass]

57. They are dancing with the date that brung'em.

[DFW]

66. It all gains a little more logic when you consider the following

The allies of Trump and today's Republican Party ARE Russia, China, and North Korea.

Canada, Mexico, Japan, NATO, France, Germany, the UK and the rest of the EU are the ADVERSARIES of Trump and today's Republicans.

Messy democracies vs. dictatorships of an oligarchy. Look who Trump and the Republicans see as their role models, and it all becomes clearer.

We are Alice and they have led us into (their) Wonderland. Nothing is as it seems, nothing is as it should be, and for sure, nothing is as it was.

[Tom Rinaldo]

67. Yup. i was noting in a post above, many American "conservatives" were drawn to authoritarians

prior to World War II. That war forged blood ties between Americans and Western Europe, and seemed to prove that Western democracies were the model that resulted in the greatest degree of social stability - which corporations desire. Those bonds have faded and China is emerging as a "new model" for "stability".

[DeminPennswoods]

68. Trump will sign any bill the Rs pass and now gets

to name his 2nd supreme court justice. Everything else is in service to that end. Period. Stop.

It really is that simple to understand.

[Snellius]

69. It reminds me of Communist Party just before the Soviet Union collapsed

I've studied European history and there has always been much debate over the causes of revolution and how empires rise and fall. One of the characteristic signs of great powers in collapse is when their governing ideological justification, their raison d'etat, begins to contradict itself. For the old Soviet Union it was Marxist/Leninism. After the workers' uprising in Poland, when genuine proletarian soviets revolved against the Stalinist state, that philosophical foundation was exposed to be nothing more than a propaganda fraud. For the Republican Party, the party which had always stood for anti-authoritarianism, free trade, small business and farmers, limited powers of the government, especially the president, their traditional principles now seem like pure hypocrisy, just a lip-service rationalization for power. So if history is any predictor the Republican Party as we know it is dead.