mhaze,

You’re doing it again - framing a centuries-old tension between the branches of government as if nothing’s changed, and pretending Trump’s approach is identical because “the system” hasn’t changed. That’s like saying shouting in someone’s face is no different than a disagreement, because both involve speaking. It ignores the how, which is exactly what we’ve been talking about all along.

As for Trump demanding personal loyalty - there’s ample evidence. He asked Comey for it directly (“I need loyalty, I expect loyalty”), publicly humiliated Jeff Sessions for recusing himself, and fired officials he deemed insufficiently loyal - not unlawful, but certainly not a president merely seeking lawful compliance from the executive branch. This isn’t some wild theory - it’s a well-documented pattern.

If you're going to keep claiming that nothing here is unusual, at least acknowledge the difference between constitutional tension and using the machinery of state to enforce personal allegiance.

Hi Banjo Paterson,
Sorry for the slow response, I've been busy trying to do some quick house renovations for he second house on my property to rent out on Booking.com for the last 11 weeks we have here before they knock it all down. Seems a little counterproductive renovating a hose that only has such a short time left, hence the reason I've been busy.
Painting and tidying up, buying a few things...

In regards to "If I saw a couple of bullies beating up one of my friends, I would jump into the fray – not try to negotiate.";
- I think it's important to note who stared the conflict.
One could be ignorant and say Putin started it by invading in 2022, or one could look at the bigger picture and say the West, in all it's polices started taking steps back in 2008 (Budapest NATO conference announcing plans for Ukraine and Georgia to join) or even earlier if you accept their pledge for NATO to not move further eastwards in return for German reunification, as well as the overthrow of the democratically elected leader of Ukraine in 2014 and the killing of the Russian-speaking Ukrainan population in the Donbass thereafter...
Putin may have invaded, but it wasn't without provacation, and like a battered wife, who always stays with her husband, finally said to the West enough is enough and was forced to act for their own self-interests.

"Putin seems to me to be more complex than Trump. He is crafty and elusive. Trump is less sophisticated, more primary, a sort of bulldog. He even looks like one !"
Putin is extremely intelligent in his own right, whereas Trump is more brash but only as intelligent as those advising him.

[Cont.]
Earlier today you spoke about Trumps 'justice'.
I thought someone might have clued on to what I shared, (as it's the ultimate perversion of justice' but no-one did, not even mhaze.

'Crossfire Hurricane' was the incumbent Democrats with the help of 5-eyes, illegally spying on an electoral candidate, FISA warrants issued on the basis of bogus 'Russiagate' claims - in order to ensure the won a US presidential election; and they did similar in 2020 by with an Democrat-loyal FBI withholding information from the Hunter-Biden laptop, and had social media companies in their pocket.

So when you speak of justice, Trump might be doing some questionable things right now (some of which I agree with, others I do not), but the other mob did worse, and Trump is acting to dismantle parts of that rigged system which wasn't really in the citizens best interests.

You can't even really speak of democracy with a straight face if you don't acknowledge what the other side (Democrats) were doing, in my opinion.

I look forward to the released FBI 'Crossfire Hurricane' information and reporting.
I wonder if people on the other side will be willing to admit that wrongdoing, or whether they will ignore it and look the other way.

JD,

Trump asked Comey for loyalty to the president AND inquired whether he was still loyal to the previous president. Comey proved he was not loyal to the then-current president but was completely beholden to his previous master and the woman he'd expected to become his new master.

I get that you have little understanding of the history of these things and think that everything today never happened before, but you're just wrong.

Just saying that its somehow wrong to reiterate that history shows that these disputes are the standard doesn't make a great deal of sense.

AC wrote: "I look forward to the released FBI 'Crossfire Hurricane' information and reporting.
I wonder if people on the other side will be willing to admit that wrongdoing, or whether they will ignore it and look the other way."

Trump has now signed an EO to release all records concerning Crossfire Hurricane. It'll be interesting to see what comes out of that and just how much illegality the FBI and the Democrats got into. But as with most of these type of things, the really incriminating stuff will have already been run through the FBI's industrial strength shredder.

But Crossfire Hurricane shows why Trump needs to be especially vigilant in ensuring that that those working for the president are in fact working FOR the president and not for his political opponents. Crossfire showed that the FBI was prepared to break any number of laws to get their man (well actually a woman) over the line and then, having failed there, were willing to go to any lengthss to discredit the person the constitution required them to show loyalty to.

Additionally, it showed that the courts (particularly the FISA court) had little regard for the truth or their ethical standards in pursuit of giving the deep state the tools to stage a coup against the president. Even worse, once the details ( or at least some of them) were revealed and extent to which the FBI and FISA courts had manipulated the system to 'get Trump' was glimpsed, the courts then set about protecting those who had attempted the soft coup. Clinesmith, who'd open lied to courts and altered documents to achieve the FBI's aims, was given a slap on the wrists while Comey, McCabe and Strzok were allowed to walk away scot-free. Corruption in the extreme which the Trump 2.0 is now trying to expose and eradicate.

As an aside, it'll be interesting to see if more about Alexander Downer's role in all of this is revealed.

"Trump asked Comey for loyalty to the president AND inquired whether he was still loyal to the previous president. Comey proved he was not loyal to the then-current president but was completely beholden to his previous master and the woman he'd expected to become his new master."

Yep, I'm pretty sure Comey was part of the Clinton camp, probably going back to his days at HSBC, or earlier, and may very well been involved in the money laundering that went on there.

Google 'HSBC money laundering'
"In 2012, HSBC faced a major scandal and agreed to pay a record $1.9 billion fine to settle money laundering charges, admitting its accounts were used to launder money for criminal networks, including Mexican drug cartels, and that it violated US sanctions."

Comey was appointed FBI director in 2013.
Many of these people aren't appointed to their positions because of their honesty and integrity, qite the opposite in fact -they're appointed because they are a part of the crime syndicate. All one needs to do is do a little digging into the goings on at the Clinton foundation to realise there was a lot of things 'on the nose'.

"But as with most of these type of things, the really incriminating stuff will have already been run through the FBI's industrial strength shredder."

Yeah, likely not much we don't already know, and a limited hangout but whatever comes out at least will be official. I'm remembering crowdstrike, DNC leaks, Seth Rich, Russiagate, Steele dossier etc.
- A trip down memory lane of sorts...