{"id":19576,"date":"2016-02-03T23:15:45","date_gmt":"2016-02-04T07:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=19576"},"modified":"2016-02-03T23:15:45","modified_gmt":"2016-02-04T07:15:45","slug":"squatchs-open-thread-03022016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/02\/03\/squatchs-open-thread-03022016\/","title":{"rendered":"Squatch’s Open Thread 03\/02\/2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

After mucking about yesterday with a doctor's appointment (just a quick check in), a Costco run for Perrier water (I like the bubbles), and then some chores, I started my post but was tired.  So I decided to relax for half an hour.  I fell asleep not waking until this morning.  Off to the races again with physio, chiropractor, and a wonderful relaxing lunch with a friend.  Ah, a day in the life of a retired person!<\/span><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Foreign Policy<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — Of our candidates, who do you think would be most popular in Russia?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Feldman<\/strong><\/span>: On the surface, Trump is, of course, terribly similar to Putin.<\/p>\n

Because in Russia, the elections are more like a choice between different aesthetics. That is, you have no chance to have an effect on actual policy. You can vote for the Communists if you’re nostalgic, for the screaming [Vladimir] Zhirinovsky<\/a> if you want to bang your fist on the table, for [the ruling party] United Russia if you want to show your loyalty, and for A Just Russia<\/a> if you’re loyal, but not very.<\/p>\n

So in Russia, elections look different. It’s a ritual, a cult. You vote and it doesn’t change anything. Here it’s not like that — but in that way, on the surface, Trump is, of course, very similar to Putin. He’s the closest to this kind of Russian politics.<\/p>\n

FP<\/strong><\/span>: In that, by voting for him, you’re more showing who you are than voting for a policy?<\/p>\n

Feldman<\/strong><\/span>: Yes.  I was actually at a Trump rally in Cedar Falls, and I had this feeling that I had returned to the Motherland.  …<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

TC has often referred to Vladimir Putin as Pooty-R(Ru).  In this piece, the author interviews Russian photojournalist Evgeny Feldman who is in the US observing the Iowa caucuses, among other things.  He seems to think that Trump is very much like Putin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Right Wing Watch<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — “I believe that they are positioning themselves so that someday they could invade Israel to be able to take over the vast stores of oil and natural gas that Israel is controlling,” she said, adding that “this very unique new partnership between Iran and Russia in Syria” with the support of China “lines up with scripture.” All of these powers, she said, are seeking “a global world order to keep their game going into the future and to support them if they would invade against Israel.”<\/span><\/p>\n

And who will lead this global world order? Why, none other than Obama.<\/p>\n

NUT JOB ALERT!!!!!     BARF BAG ALERT!!!!!     <\/strong>NUT JOB ALERT!!!!!     BARF BAG ALERT!!!!!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n